Japan to Approve First Domestic COVID-19 Vaccine... Experts Say "Effective and Safe"

The Japanese government is expected to allow the manufacturing and sale of domestically produced COVID-19 vaccines for the first time.

According to local broadcaster NHK on the 31st, the Expert Committee of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan agreed to permit the manufacturing and sale of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Daiichi Sankyo.

Japanese citizens are walking along the train line in Togoshi Ginza, Tokyo, on May 8. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The product developed by Daiichi Sankyo, one of Japan's top five pharmaceutical companies, is an mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) type COVID-19 vaccine, similar to the Pfizer vaccine. The Expert Committee evaluated that the vaccine's efficacy can be confirmed and that there are no safety issues, deeming it usable.

With the approval from the Expert Committee, it is expected to receive formal authorization through the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's procedures, becoming the first officially approved COVID-19 vaccine from a Japanese pharmaceutical company.

On the same day, the Expert Committee also reviewed a COVID-19 vaccine developed by another Japanese pharmaceutical company, Shionogi & Co., but decided to continue deliberations on it in the future.