Japan to roll out Omicron-targeted COVID vaccine as early as Oct.

Aug 06 (Kyodo) - The Japanese government plans to roll out a new type of COVID-19 vaccine considered effective for the Omicron variant as early as October, sources familiar with the matter said Friday.

The so-called bivalent vaccine combines ingredients used for existing COVID-19 shots and those derived from the BA.1 subtype of the Omicron variant, and is expected to curb the spread of the BA.5 subvariant currently prevalent across the country.

The new vaccine is under development by U.S. pharmaceutical companies Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. Their products were found to increase neutralizing antibodies against the BA.1 subvariant and were also effective for the BA.5 subtype to some extent, according to some reports.

The two companies are set to apply for authorization for their products to be used in Japan soon, according to the sources. ...continue reading

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Japan Grapples with Poverty and Rising 'Invisible Homeless'

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