Pfizer seeks Japanese government approval for COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11
In a major step towards immunizing children, pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech have sought permission from the Japanese administration by filing an application with the Ministry of Health to approve its COVID vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 .
In addition to the request, pharmaceutical companies have submitted data that presents the second of three phases of clinical trials conducted in other countries. If the Japanese government approves the request, the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine will be the first against COVID-19 to be given to children under 11 in Japan. Currently, Pfizer’s vaccine is given to children 12 years of age and older.
Pfizer / BioNTech seeks approval to vaccinate children ages 5-11
In order to immunize its citizens, Japan uses Moderna, AstraZeneca and Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines to protect them against COVID-19. According to the ANI, the country has administered more than 193 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the population. More than 77% of the country’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine while 74% of people have been fully immunized.
COVID-19 situation in Japan
According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, as of November 10, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Japan has reached 1,724,514. The global tally of reported deaths due to COVID-19 has reached 18,316. ​​The number of people discharged from hospital or from quarantine is 1,704,380.
Quarantine guidelines for business travelers
As the number of COVID-19 cases declines in Japan, the government has relaxed quarantine guidelines for business travelers from Monday, November 8, according to PA. Under the new guidelines, business travelers would only need to quarantine themselves for three days. Previously, vaccinated travelers had to quarantine themselves for 10 days after arriving in the country for commercial purposes. Under the new rules, businessmen arriving in Japan have been asked to self-quarantine for three days. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan closed its borders to all foreign travelers in January, except for those with special permits and for humanitarian purposes.