<Anchor> As



you may have heard, pharmaceutical companies are now in the position that each country is responsible for the side effects of vaccines. So Japan passed a bill that provides free vaccination to all citizens and the government compensates for side effects. .



In addition, correspondent Yoo Seong-jae from Tokyo will share with you the movements of other countries preparing for vaccination.



<Reporter> The



amendment to the vaccination law, which the Japanese National Assembly decided yesterday (2nd), contains the content that the country pays the entire cost of the COVID-19 vaccination for all citizens.



If side effects occur after vaccination and the pharmaceutical company has to compensate for damages, the government has decided to pay compensation instead.



It is in a hurry to overhaul the law for rapid introduction prior to applications for approval of corona vaccine use by pharmaceutical companies expected in the near future.



It is known that pharmaceutical companies are demanding immunity from side effects prior to supplying the vaccine.



Japan has signed contracts with pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Modena and AstraZeneca to supply 145 million vaccines by June next year.



[Kato/Japan Secretary of State: We have 3,000 freezers that can be stored at -70 degrees Celsius so that medical institutions can properly store and manage (vaccines).] The



Japanese government has provided 10,000 volunteer medical workers. We plan to gradually expand the vaccination to the elderly and those with underlying diseases if there is no problem after observing the presence of side effects by vaccination first.



International steps toward vaccination are also accelerating.



The UK, which will be vaccinated next week, is considering a plan to disclose Prime Minister Johnson's vaccinations on TV. The US and Canada are planning to approve urgent use of the vaccine soon.



Russia, which has already approved its own vaccine, has announced plans to expand its vaccinations to the public starting next week.



Although the safety of the vaccine has not been sufficiently verified, countries around the world that have made corona recovery a top priority are putting their lives and deaths on securing collective immunity through vaccines.



(Video coverage: Han Cheol-min, Video editing: Jung Yong-hwa)