Minister in charge of Administrative Reform Taro Kono is seen at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on July 20, 2021. (Mainichi/Kan Takeuchi)

       TOKYO -- U.S. government decision-making appears to be affecting Japan's vaccine policy after President Joe Biden emphasized in a speech on Aug. 18 that third coronavirus vaccines doses will be free. Now, the Japanese government is investigating extending the period for free vaccinations to the end of February 2022 and whether to provide third booster shots free of charge.

       Minister in charge of Administrative Reform Taro Kono suggested at an Aug. 19 Cabinet Committee meeting in the House of Councillors held during the Diet recess that the administration intends to follow the U.S. in providing booster vaccines eight months after people's second shot, and starting with medical staff.

       "Health care workers who began vaccinations in February would receive further shots eight months later, in October. We have to wait for a decision from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, but we are preparing to be able to respond if it becomes necessary," Kono said.

       A senior health ministry official said, "First we have to look into whether it's needed, but if we wait until a conclusion then our response will be behind. We're going ahead with investigations into the vaccinations' framework and negotiations on supply, all at the same time as there's discussion about whether or not to do it."

       The government has already agreed on a top-up contract with Moderna for next year's vaccine allocation. An official agreement with Pfizer is also on the way, and it is expected the government will be able to provide third vaccinations to all who want one.

       Regarding how shots will proceed, the plan with the most weight behind it is to start by prioritizing the first vaccinated groups of medical workers, older people and others. But still many parts of the plan are not clearly defined. The government aims to follow the U.S. lead in offering shots after eight months to a section of society within the year, but because the contracts are for next year's allocation, it appears the rollout will happen in earnest from 2022.

       Attention is also being given to parameters for additional vaccinations. The U.S. intends to provide them to all adults, while the U.K. is currently operating an over 50s policy. A senior Japan health ministry official said: "We don't know yet if everyone is going to need them."

       People's antibody values -- the number of antibodies in an individual's bloodstream -- do not necessarily all fall at the same rate. Even if antibody values fall, other immune functions might prevent severe symptoms from developing. However, the data to prove this theory has yet to be internationally compiled.

       Takahiro Kinoshita, a doctor with deep knowledge of infectious diseases and vaccines, told the Mainichi Shimbun: "There is a way of thinking that says people for whom the vaccine has lost effect should receive booster shots first." He went on, saying, "It is also logical to adopt a strategy to limit the target for them to people who have a high risk of antibody effects wearing off, such as specific age groups, genders, and whether or not people have pre-existing conditions."

       Whether all three doses of the vaccine administered need to be the same one is currently under research. In the U.K., government-led clinical trials are testing mixed inoculations by using seven types of vaccine for third shots. Japan's ministry of health is following the results keenly.

       Pharmaceuticals are also progressing with development of new vaccines to combat the delta variant, and what kind of booster vaccine will be safe and effective will depend on the research results coming out in the future.

       (Japanese original by Ai Yokota and Sooryeon Kim, Lifestyle and Medical News Department,)

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