Society

Pfizer vaccine effective on COVID-19 variants in Japan, study says

May 13 (Japan Times) - Around 90% of people who received the vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. were found to have developed antibodies against the various COVID-19 variants detected in Japan, a university study showed Wednesday.

The study by a research team at Yokohama City University was conducted on 105 people who had received both doses of the vaccine without contracting COVID-19 and checked for immunity against seven variants.

Of the 105 people, 90% to 94% were found to have antibodies against the variants found in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil, while 97% had antibodies against the variant detected in India, the study showed.

It also found that 99% had antibodies against the original coronavirus, present in Japan from the start of the outbreak.

Over 300 New Geoglyphs Discovered by Yamagata University in Nazca

Yamagata University, which has been conducting research on the Nazca geoglyphs in Peru, announced the discovery of over 300 new geoglyphs, depicting a variety of subjects, including humans and animals.

University of Tokyo Raises Tuition Fees for First Time in 20 Years

The University of Tokyo has officially decided to increase tuition by approximately 110,000 yen for incoming undergraduate students starting next academic year, bringing the total to 642,960 yen.

Death toll rises to 9 in Japan's Ishikawa following heavy rain

Emergency officials say the death toll from record rainfall in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture has risen to nine. (NHK)

Russian military plane intrudes into Japanese airspace, Tokyo lodges protest

A Japanese government spokesperson says a Russian military airplane entered Japanese airspace three times on Monday. (NHK)

Kishida vows in meeting with Zelenskyy continued support for Ukraine

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has conveyed his country's intention to maintain support for Ukraine to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (NHK)

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