Japan notified Moderna of halting the vaccine supply after contamination was found in the unused vials of the vaccine which has alarmed the concerned authorities!
According to the health ministry of Japan, multiple vaccination sites reported contamination issues in unused vials. The alarming fact is that some doses have already been administered but no adverse effects have been reported from anywhere.
Takeda pharmaceuticals Co.; a famous Japanese pharmaceutical company that is in charge of the sales and further distribution of the vaccines in Japan has stated that they have finally decided to stop and suspend the usage of the doses which were manufactured in similar production lines as a safety measure.
The pharmaceutical company also requested Moderna to conduct an internal emergency investigation regarding the contamination. Takeda pharmaceuticals officially warned the organizers and medical institutions across Japan to stop using Moderna vaccines which were produced and manufactured in Spain as the other vaccine vials may be contaminated as well.
The pharmaceutical company and the health ministry of Japan did not give out the details regarding the contamination as well as whether the contaminated doses were distributed anywhere outside Japan or not.
The unexpected halting of the Moderna vaccine will adversely affect the vaccination process of japan. The country is already struggling from the rising coronavirus cases after the Tokyo Olympics.
Chief cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato stated, “we will do utmost to avoid any impact on vaccination progress, especially at worksites and large-scales centers.” Japan relies on foreign-developed vaccines such as AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer Inc. Moderna has been administered to the population since the middle of June on a large scale such as the large vaccination centers and the workplace designated areas to speed up the vaccination drive across the country.
Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga stated that almost 60% of the population will be completely vaccinated by the end of September after which the government will discuss and decide regarding the booster doses of vaccinations.
