The third inoculation of the new coronavirus vaccine will begin in earnest.


As a countermeasure against the new mutant virus, Omicron strain, the movement to advance the vaccination is spreading in the local government, but the issue is how to smoothly proceed with the vaccination while the supply of the vaccine is limited.

The third vaccination is said to have a certain effect on the Omicron strain, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare plans to advance the period from the second vaccination to 8 months or more in principle as much as possible.



Medical workers, users of facilities for the elderly, staff, etc. will be subject to the third vaccination if it is 6 months or more, and the local governments that are moving forward will start full-scale from this month.



For general elderly people, those who are more than 7 months old will be eligible from next month, and if inoculation to medical staff and users of facilities for the elderly has been completed, it may be advanced from this month at the discretion of the local government. I can do it.



At present, the interval for inoculation to the general public under the age of 64 and occupational inoculation is 8 months, and it is expected that full-scale inoculation will start in March.

Concerns are vaccine supply

On the other hand, the supply of vaccines is a concern when inoculating ahead of schedule.



The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has signed a contract with Pfizer to receive 120 million supplies by the end of the year, but there is no prospect of importing it ahead of schedule.



For this reason, "alternate vaccination" is also performed in which vaccines from different manufacturers are given up to the second time, but if there are many residents who desire Pfizer, there is a risk that Pfizer's vaccine will be insufficient and vaccination will be delayed.



In addition, since the local government initially prepared for an interval of 8 months, it is necessary to secure an inoculation site and a nurse to move forward.



In addition, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is asking local governments to prepare for the first vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 years after March, and how to smoothly inoculate children aged 5 to 11 years when the burden on the local government is concentrated. The challenge is to proceed.

When and the subjects of the third vaccination

It is the target person and time when the third inoculation is advanced.



According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, this month's target is 890,000 health care workers, 3.43 million elderly people aged 65 and over in nursing homes, and 3.43 million of those who have been vaccinated twice by July last year. There are 1.58 million people, including staff at facilities for the elderly.



▽ Next month, 22.27 million general elderly people who received the second vaccination by July last year and 140,000 general people under the age of 64 who received the second vaccination by June last year


▽ March 2.91 million elderly people who received the second vaccination in August last year and 3.13 million people under the age of 64 who received the second vaccination in July last year will be newly targeted. 1.7 million people who received the second vaccination are eligible.



▽ In April, 570,000 elderly people who received the second vaccination in September last year, 11.86 million people under the age of 64 who received the second vaccination in August last year, and 5.76 million people who received the second vaccination in the workplace


▽ May , and the elderly 330,000, which was the second time of inoculation in October last year, 1.85 million people for the second time 14,610,000 people 64 years old or less, which was the inoculation of the occupational vaccination in last September


is ▽ 6 may, last year November 160,000 elderly people who received the second vaccination, 12.89 million people under the age of 64 who received the second vaccination last October, and 2.04 million people who received the occupational vaccination are newly targeted.