TOKYO (Reuters) – Moderna Inc applied for approval from Japan’s health ministry on Wednesday to use their COVID-19 vaccines for booster shots, broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday.
Japan plans to start administering booster shots from December this year, and has already approved the use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for a third round of vaccinations on Thursday.
If approved, Moderna’s vaccine would become the second to be approved for booster shots in Japan.
About 74% of Japan’s population has been fully vaccinated as of Thursday according to NHK. The country is currently seeing a fall in cases following a fifth wave of the pandemic that peaked in August.
(This story refiles to add NHK attribution in headline.)
(Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by Toby Chopra)
