Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo Co. says it expects to launch its COVID-19 vaccine in Japan by the end of 2022 after studies that started in March yielded positive results.
A lot of Moderna Inc. s COVID-19 vaccine doses where contaminants were detected had only been shipped to Japan, the Spanish manufacturer for the U.S. biotechnology company says.
Q&A: COVID-19 vaccines and getting vaccinated in Japan
The following are questions and answers regarding COVID-19 vaccines and how to get vaccinated in Japan.
Q: What are vaccines?
A: Vaccines protect a person from infectious diseases, usually by introducing a weakened or harmless part of a pathogen into the body and triggering the immune system to create antibodies. When the person is exposed to the pathogen in the future, the immune system knows to create the antibodies that can defend against it. A health worker inoculates a colleague with COVID-19 vaccine at the Tokyo Medical Center in Tokyo s Meguro Ward on Feb. 17, 2021. Japan began COVID-19 vaccinations the same day, with the first shots given at the state-run hospital. (Pool photo) (Kyodo) ==Kyodo