Bad news is mounting against Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine.

The regions of Okinawa and Gunma in Japan suspended injections on Sunday after the discovery of new contaminated batches, local authorities said.


This decision comes the day after the opening of an investigation by the Japanese Ministry of Health after the death of two men who received injections of the Moderna vaccine from other batches, which showed impurities.

Okinawa Prefecture, located in southern Japan, has announced that it has suspended injections at a major vaccination center in the city of Naha.

"We are suspending the use of Moderna vaccines against Covid-19 because foreign substances have been detected" in certain batches, according to a press release.

The link with vaccination "unknown"

The lots affected by this contamination, detected Saturday in Okinawa, are different from those suspended after the discovery of impurities in some vials of this product, according to local media.

Gunma prefecture, located north of Tokyo, also said it had suspended the use of contaminated lots.

"We continue to use the Moderna batches which are not affected by the incident," said an official.

Japan's health ministry on Saturday announced an investigation into the death in August of two men, aged 30 and 38, who had received a second dose of Moderna vaccine from one of three suspended batches (i.e. 1 , 63 million doses) by the government last Thursday.

The ministry specified that “the cause and effect link with vaccination remains unknown to this day”.

"At this time, we have no evidence that these deaths were caused by the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, and it is important to investigate to determine if there is a link," said on Saturday. in a joint Moderna and Takeda press release, which imports and distributes in the Japanese archipelago.

A subcontractor ?

The nature of the particles found in the vials, which were manufactured by a Moderna subcontractor in Europe, is not yet known.

“The vials have been sent to a lab for analysis and the first conclusions will be known early next week,” Moderna and Takeda said.

The American company assumes that the problem stems from a production line of its subcontractor in Spain, Rovi, which produces its Covid-19 vaccines for markets outside the United States.

Rovi said Aug. 26 to investigate the cause of the contamination of these batches, distributed only in Japan.

About 44% of the Japanese population has been fully vaccinated, as the country faces a record increase in the number of cases of the virus linked to the more contagious Delta variant.

More than 15,800 people have died from Covid-19 in the country, mostly subject to health restrictions in an attempt to stem the pandemic.

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  • Coronavirus

  • Covid 19

  • Anti-covid vaccine

  • Vaccine

  • Moderna

  • Japan

  • Health