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Another mutation of the coronavirus was discovered for the first time in Japan. This is the 'mu mutation' first reported in Colombia, South America, and there is a possibility that it may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine. So far, the mutation has been confirmed in 39 countries.
This is Tokyo correspondent Yoo Seong-jae.
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Japanese government announced that a woman in her 40s who arrived from the United Arab Emirates at the end of June and a woman in her 50s who arrived from the UK in early July were confirmed to have been infected with the Mu mutation.
This is the result of comparing the viral genes of infected people in Japan after the World Health Organization WHO designated the Mu mutation as a 'mutation of interest' two days ago.
Mu mutations were first reported in Colombia in South America in January and have been found in 39 countries so far, but this is the first time that an introduction to Japan has been confirmed.
Although the specific infectivity has not yet been confirmed, the Japanese authorities are very nervous as there is a possibility that the vaccine may be less effective, such as a beta mutation from South Africa.
[Rabbit / Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary: The World Health Organization (WHO), but suggest the vaccine affect the possibility of Mu mutation, the situation needed to investigate further -
five wide municipality at the problem Moderate or vaccine in debris such as Tokyo It was identified as a piece of stainless steel.
It is said that fragments from parts of the manufacturing equipment at the Spanish plant were mixed, and the use of 1.63 million doses of the vaccine manufactured in the same process at the same plant was stopped.
The Japanese government started recalling the Moderna vaccine, which was a problem, from today (2nd), but it is understood that more than 500,000 have already been vaccinated.
(Video coverage: Cheol-min Han, Hyun-jin Moon, video editing: Min-gyu Jeon)