AstraZeneca to produce coronavirus vaccine doses in Japan for 40 million people

AstraZeneca to produce coronavirus vaccine doses in Japan for 40 million people

TOKYO: The AstraZeneca company is going to produce in Japan doses of the coronavirus vaccine enough for 40 million people, the executive director of the Japanese department of the firm said.

The company’s representative told the NHK broadcaster that AstraZeneca had signed a contract with Japan on providing the country with doses for 60 million people. Doses for 40 million people will be produced at the facilities of the JCR Pharmaceuticals company in the prefecture of Hyogo.

The vaccination campaign in Japan started on February 17. Pfizer remains the only authorized vaccine against the coronavirus in Japan. AstraZeneca submitted documents for the registration in Japan on February 17.

The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11. To date, more than 110.68 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 2.45 million fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Japan has confirmed more than 422,000 COVID-19 cases so far, with over 7,300 fatalities. (ANI/Sputnik)