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Japan to start COVID vaccinations next week despite syringe shortage

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Around 10,000 medical workers will be the first people vaccinated in Japan, with officials hoping to expand the rollout to the elderly from April.

10,000 vaccinations between next week and April is only 240/day for the entire nation.

25 ( +26 / -1 )

First, there isn't enough doctors and nurses qualified to administer the vaccine. Now, there isn't enough syringes. What's next?

19 ( +23 / -4 )

Japan is a first world country that is handling the vaccine like a third world country! Japan is like an old man dithering on what to do. Japan used to lead the world in many sectors but now it is the last duckling in the line! What does its intelligence service know that we don't? The UK has 13 million citizens vaccinated, that's nearly 20%. Get a move on. Lets have a vaccine week during golden week. 20 million vaccinated every day!

The days of Japan leading the world has gone forever, although many people in Japan do not realise it. The thing which astounds me is that Japan (dispite a head start warning with the Diamond Princess cruise ship) has been slow to react, and prepare. With regards to early fast action, Taiwan and NZ seem to be the role models.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Japan is a first-rate neoliberal nation, which is why the government does not have a strong public response to the pandemic and cannot collectively solve either the production of a vaccine or its timely distribution.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

"Public safety" is often used by Japan as an excuse to hide blatant protectionism for its home industries. That is why perfectly safe foreign drugs have to be tested here. The extra time and considerable expense is a hurdle to overseas makers and gives the locals time to catch up. There are many other examples, the 400cc motorcycle license limit and water pipe diameters are just two.

The syringe story is a red herring, its just that the most widely used syringe in Japanese hospitals is not the optimum size for the Pfizer vaccine and probably some will be wasted. It won't affect the number of vaccinations.

A bigger problem is the law preventing anyone except qualified doctors and nurses administering the jabs. The UK is able to do so many in so little time due to an army of quickly trained volunteers supervised by qualified staff.

13 ( +17 / -4 )

It is strange they did not realize the problem beforehand.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Japan to start COVID vaccinations next week despite syringe shortage

So next week vaccination will start

But it has not yet announced a detailed roll-out plan for the jabs, less than six months before the pandemic-postponed Olympics begin.

At the same time no detailed roll-out-plan being announced.

11 ( +14 / -3 )

Hopefully he will start with medical staff.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Japan is a first world country that is handling the vaccine like a third world country! Japan is like an old man dithering on what to do. Japan used to lead the world in many sectors but now it is the last duckling in the line! What does its intelligence service know that we don't? The UK has 13 million citizens vaccinated, that's nearly 20%. Get a move on. Lets have a vaccine week during golden week. 20 million vaccinated every day!

10 ( +14 / -4 )

Always amazed by Japan’s fastidiousness to detail. But syringe capacity doesn’t seem very difficult (6? 5?).

Most Japanese obsession to detail doesn’t involve danger.

This one will cost lives! Who’s accountable?

Do you really expect we’ll ever know?

9 ( +14 / -5 )

Very low uptake being seen around the world with these rushed to market experimental vaccines. The mainstream media of course not reporting on it

As long as the safety and efficacy testing is done properly (and it was) there is no problem with "rushing" something, specially when its purpose is to prevent a serious disease that frequently ends up in death. Production and distribution problems have been also widely reported in the media, so maybe you just need to read more.

8 ( +21 / -13 )

Just wondering, but is there anyway that these dead draw syringes can be recycled, until enough production is online. I don't mean reuse the same needle like we did years ago, but some way to completely disinfect them

Not really, any method that could reliably disinfect them would also destroy them completely. And "reliably" still includes some risk, that is why even the glass syringes are not in use anymore.

8 ( +17 / -9 )

No individual or government can make this many genuine mistakes or be this slow.

So,there are reasons but in the mean time, Japans global image is going to tatters.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

In the scientific process you have run the experiment and study again to make sure you get the same results.

There is a point where the benefits of repeating yet again an experiment bring no realistic advantage, while delaying a decision have very real costs (as in human lives).

Thinking that a test of an extra 200 people will give more information on something already tested on tens of thousands of subjects would require a very well thought and explained reason to justify the time lost.

Use a regular syringe, draw the last dose from seven vials and inject then into an empty vial.

Problem solved.

You don't understand the problem, the last dose is not remaining in the vial, it remains in the syringes, and since the syringe has to be considered as contaminated nothing that remains inside can be safely recycled anywhere.

8 ( +15 / -7 )

So Japan wants to use only [Made in Japan] syringes? However there are not enough to go around? Clue me in because this story is ridiculous! ; ^ 0 

7 ( +12 / -5 )

Klausdorf, yes, they did use their brains. It would have been better if they had used scientists and doctors brains instead.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Cant pfizer just produce the vaccine in Japan?

Or is a pharmaceutical company putting profits first?

It should be obvious but vaccine production is not just renting a big room and plug in vaccine-making machines.

There are a lot of processes that have to be implemented and certified to keep anything used in humans as safe and effective as possible, this obviously takes a lot of work and money, but in Japan it also takes impossible amounts of paperwork, meetings with the authorities, inspections, etc. It may even take a new round of meaningless human trials just to corroborate the local product is as safe as the original.

I mean, the special syringes can only be made here by the already approved makers, if any other company wants to produce them they would need a few months of dealing with red tape to have the government approval.

7 ( +16 / -9 )

By referring to COVID-19 vaccines as “vaccines” rather than gene therapies, the U.S. government is violating its 15 U.S. Code Section 41, which regulates deceptive practices in medical claims

COVID-19 are vaccines, they are NOT gene therapies, they don't modify the genomic information, nor they regulate the expression of its proteins, you are clearly mistaken. According to your faulty definition every attenuated vaccine would be "gene therapy", including the prototypical vaccine.

COVID-19 “vaccines” do not impart immunity or inhibit transmissibility of the disease. They only are designed to lessen your infection symptoms if or when you get infected. As such, these products do not meet the legal or medical definition of a vaccine

Yes they do impart immunity, and it they already have evidence to reduce transmisibility. All vaccines are intended to prevent the disease, not the infection, because it is realistically impossible to prevent even a single cell of the body to be infected by exposure to the pathogen. Your imaginary definition of a vaccine is not valid.

Since a vast majority of people who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 have no symptoms at all, they’ve not even been able to establish a causal link between the virus and the clinical disease

Yes there is, people that have scientific understanding more recent than 2 centuries ago know very well that having every single person showing the full symptomatology is not a requirement to establish a causal link.

All of these disorders being caused by the vaccines are autoimmune disorders.

No, that is again you being completely mistaken, what is the target of that "autoimmune" disorder? In reality that is just an imaginary excuse that antivaxxers try to use to justify the conspiracies they want to defend.

You were not even able to show vaccines caused sudden deaths above of what is expected on the non vaccinated population, that (throwing away bad arguments without even defending them) should be a clear indication that what you want to believe is more likely mistaken.

7 ( +14 / -7 )

Japan to start COVID vaccinations next week despite syringe shortage

If Japan does not have enough syringes, or enough doctors for the Olympics, vacination of 126,000,000 will be slow going.

I suspect that Japan is searching frantically for foriegn doctors to help, and this the reason why the Japanese government does not cancel the Olympics. A subtle way of pleading for help without losing face by begging.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

If you were Japan would trust the outside world? There are already reports that some vaccine makers passed on some critical tests. Would the US and Europe report the truth?

In the scientific process you have run the experiment and study again to make sure you get the same results.

It is good science.

That is ridiculous science. The vaccine has already been tested, and proved.

Questioning whether or not the US and Europe would report the truth, maybe you are trying to mirror Japans mistrust in it's own scientists (and government).

Interesting expression used here "the outside world".

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Last December, Japan's prime minister Suga who paused self-righteous policy after rapid down of support rate, not after increase of coronavirus victim.

He hurried vaccination to revive support rate, not to save life.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I like the mindset of our bright minds in the government. First we'll react late, discuss and investigate and blame EU or vaccine producers that they didn't deliver or they have their own rules. Then we order and when it's on the way, we realize we forgot to check if we're actually able to do it. So we'll blame someone else, again.

"At first, we will use the syringes that can draw six doses, but as we vaccinate many people, these will become scarce," Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said on Tuesday.

Yeah, this is a real challenge, nearly impossible to solve. Like the twelve balls, two-sided scale, just three weighings of the scale to determine not only what the different ball is, but also if it's lighter or heavier.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

sticking a good portion of thse doses into a different vial that standard needles can reach the bottom of . . . . . . .

Based on my highly relevant experience with bottles of shampoo, I recommend injecting blood into 1/6 full vial, swilling it about, and then reinjecting the blood/vaccine mix.

There is no problem with the needles reaching the bottom and there isn’t a complete sixth dose remaining after using a high ddead draw syringe for the first five.

The problem is that some syringe designs have a larger wasted amount of vaccine remaining after injection. Low dead draw syringe design is the design choice now in the US with a slight majority of the syringes used being low dead draw, but this is less so in other countries.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Wait a minute - reusing syringes?

That's not a good idea, surely? COVID doesn't trump any other blood-borne diseases, does it?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Two Italian nurses, a doctor and a pharmacist, all previously healthy and only in their 40s, have died of heart attacks after getting the at least one dose of the Pfizer Covid "vaccine".

How about the other half of the information? which is the occurrence of sudden deaths on an equivalent number of people that have taken no vaccine?

What if on the same period, in a group of the same size 3 unvaccinated people died? would that mean that the vaccine protects somewhat against "hearth attacks"?

Like the lockdowns, these "vaccines" which are not actually vaccines in the technical sense, are almost certainly going to turn out to be worse than the disease for everyone under the age of 70 even in the short term. And it will not be even remotely surprising if the long-term consequences turn out to be catastrophic.

The vaccines are 100% so, saying they are not in a technical sense is completely mistaken, according to you probably live vaccines are not "real vaccines" either, even if the first vaccine was precisely that.

And until now there is no evidence whatsoever that your imaginary projection is ever going to be true. For the experts it would be extremely surprising to have important long term consequences, much less catastrophic. It would be as surprising as not finding them on COVID-19 patients (specially because they already have).

Meanwhile, the more conventional vaccines don't appear to work as well as acquiring natural immunity.

That is inside of the expectations, without an intracellular pathway stimulation step the effect is expected to be lower, that is why the biggest investments were done including it.

At this point, you'd have to be crazy to roll the dice with these vaccines rather than the virus if you're not an obese 68-year old man with asthma.

Because of 36 cases (not even proved to be related to the vaccine) in millions and millions of doses? when compared with the over 1% rate of death of the natural infection that is still thousands of times less dangerous. You are not really good at betting.

5 ( +14 / -9 )

Wow. What a litany of weirdness posted throughout.

Syringes: 16 billion are produced annually, however, those conform to various needs and are not particular to covid vaccines. The concerns to manufacture/produce a sufficient quantity of syringes was noted a year ago. Manufacturers intended to increase volume of production. That said, it takes well over a year, at best, to build and equip a facility to manufacture syringes. Even so, it would still require obtaining raw materials to produce the syringes. It is a supply chain problem with no immediate solution. There has been an increase in production, but limited by the maximum ability to output the devices.

The initial information from Pfizer was a 5-dose vial. By magic, it was discovered a sixth dose existed in each vial. Per the contract, Pfizer is paid per dose, not per vial. Voila! More money to be paid out.

Pfizer has been contracted to supply 120 million doses.

Moderna: 50 million doses.

AZ: 120 million doses.

The USA, which has exhibited a rather curious response to SARSCov-2, has managed to inoculate approximately 45 million of it citizens, ranking it first in vaccinations. China has only managed to vaccinate 40 million. Japan is not even on the chart.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

..a work around (turn the bottle upside down into a sterile container?)

> ...the vial pictured does not look like something it would be hard to remove the last 1/6 out of.

The remaining dose is not lost because it cannot be recovered from the vial, it is lost inside the syringes, there is no difficulty in removing the liquid from the vial, but once the syringe is used then anything remaining inside cannot be used anymore because it has to be considered contaminated.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

@virusrex

Do you agree this is some form of money grab or misuse of power by Pfizer?

Honestly there was no other reason to change labeling.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Those that keep going on about the risk of reaction allergic or otherwise, note the following.

The risk if a reaction is extremely low.

If you are that worried then never ever ever eat any food from this point on that you haven't already eaten and know it is safe for you.

I point these out because of the following.

Under protocols, one is kept under observation after getting the vaccine and you are in a medical setting that can treat any reaction.

As for eating food you never had, here is what happens if you have a reaction.

I had never eaten Taro root before coming to Japan, my first experience was my last and nearly my last meal.

I went into anaphylaxis, meaning I had a severe allergic reaction.

No EpiPen because I never had food allergies, I was extremely lucky that there was a hospital very nearby and the ambulance was fast in responding.

So worried about allergic reaction get the vaccine in a hospital and avoid any food you haven't already had.

Or you can just get the vaccine and continue living a normal life without all the over reaction the antivaxxers spread.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Pfizer have been dishonest about the number of doses which are 5 per viral with the normal syringe

20% more revenue at no additional cost whatsoever.

Profits must be skyhigh already at its currentbprice even at 5doses a vial.

Crisis and opportunity 2 sides of same coin.

Great times

4 ( +5 / -1 )

There is no real excuse for the vaccine campaign in Japan not to go perfectly smooth. They have been studying and planning longer than any other advanced nation. Now we hear they don't have the right syringes, and can only vaccinate 250 medical workers per day, and haven't actually approved the vaccine yet. Japan uses old-style syringes with detachable needles waste 15% of the vaccine with each draw. The same Japanese syringe supplier also makes the no-waste type for sale overseas. Maybe some women should replace the old Japanese guys running this stuff. Come on Japan modernize and improve and get moving! Let's see if you can get the whole population vaccinated by year-end - THIS YEAR!

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Japan does face a problem that Pfizer created by changing its recommendation from 5 to 6 doses by using these thin syringes.

Many other countries have the same problem

The below article is very interesting

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.france24.com/en/live-news/20210127-five-or-six-doses-controversy-over-pfizer-vaccine-vials

Low dead space syringes are niche products and there has... traditionally been minimal market demand based on health care provider needs," a company spokesman said.

Manufacturing capacity of these syringes is limited and it will take time to boost production.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Cant pfizer just produce the vaccine in Japan?

Or is a pharmaceutical company putting profits first?

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Err no.

Either a fact is a fact or not.

There are no half facts!

Of course there are, when extremely important information is left out the "fact" it becomes incomplete, misleading.

Like saying "COVID means death" is this a fact? is it true? does it need any clarification?

Surely, you meant to write that people predisposed to allergic reactions face a greater chance of side effects having taken the vaccine?

No, allergies and other immunopathologies are a know predisposing condition for complications of the COVID-19

Vaccines are still a much safer option for anybody for which they are indicated even when taking into account the rare complications, because leaving the person at risk of infection is still more risky to their health and lives.

3 ( +12 / -9 )

Do you agree this is some form of money grab or misuse of power by Pfizer?

Maybe, or a power grab, or a measure on desperation to avoid penalties on badly made contracts that assumed things would go smoothly. This is obviously going to bite them back and have repercussions in the future.

This is part of the advantages of having as many vaccine candidates in development in parallel, so products that are roughly equivalent can be used to replace each other for reasons different from their biological effects.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

It’s already like in many other countries. Japan will certainly do this..., also Japan will do guaranteed that... Better stop all those fake announcements. As for me, I just believe it only if I see any one real vial with my own eyes, not a millisecond earlier. lol

3 ( +4 / -1 )

"Hopefully he will start with medical staff."

Please read the article:

"Around 10,000 medical workers will be the first people vaccinated in Japan, with officials hoping to expand the rollout to the elderly from April."

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Didou is right.

This is a problem created by Pfizer who changed the labels recently wrong footing everyone. In the contracts they sold doses to governments and not vials. Pfizer later decided that in practice you could squeeze an extra dose out of the vials. They then relabeled each vial as as 6 doses instead of 5. Cheeky - because you need the special syringe to do that but they fulfill their side of the contract to the detriment of the government side.

The effect is that we will all have to either find the syringes, a work around (turn the bottle upside down into a sterile container?) or buy more vials.

Pfizer has revised higher its production target for this year from 1.3 billion doses to 2 billion. While part of that reflects plans to further increase output, it also reflects the effect of the label change on vials.

Pfizer said its contracts specify the delivery of a certain number of vaccine doses and not vials.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210127-five-or-six-doses-controversy-over-pfizer-vaccine-vials

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Clearly to maximize profits while supply of vaccines havent stabilized yet.

If there are adequate supply from other makers , now demand for pfizer's vaccine would be low considering the price.

Question: why are governments not crying foul?

Or its just that no one is writing about it?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Thanks but no thanks. You guys go ahead, I'm healthy and young, no need to put that thing in my body, I will probably wait a couple of decades. No travel, no problem.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Yes, that is why many of us consider them rushed experimental vaccines. I am surprised to finally see you write that.

Invalidly of course, the important part is that nothing was sacrificed for the testing of safety and efficacy and the human trials were in the same schedule used for previous vaccines. The part that is not yet optimized is the economical aspect, but that is irrelevant for to judge if the vaccine is or not safer than the disease it prevents, for this there is no doubt, it is certainly much safer.

Even vaccines that developed and tested over many years have serious adverse effects. But we are expected to accept these rushed ones.

Which is a terribly bad excuse to avoid using them for a disease that is so lethal and that carries so much risks, even if you only counts those already identified (and that is sure will not be the only ones). Vaccine use will for sure prevent disease and death, even if they are not perfect in the future.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Well, there is a risk of death with these vaccines, even in the young and healthy.

Fact!

Incomplete fact, you forgot the part where the risk is incredibly low compared with COVID-19 infection, even in the young and healthy. People predisposed to allergic reactions are also more vulnerable to infection.

1 ( +10 / -9 )

@dee, you mention the lack of people to administer the injections, what bumbling Boris has done is called upon retired doctors, nursers, armed forces and heath workers to come out of retirement to help. I am sure if PM Suga went on national TV and radio called out to the nation to help I am sure they would,

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Virusrex

"There is a point where the benefits of repeating yet again an experiment bring no realistic advantage, while delaying a decision have very real costs (as in human lives)."

Indeed. About 70-80 lives lost per day delayed in Japan.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I just got my 2nd dose yesterday in the US. So far, seems like any other kind of vaccine. I feel fine. The effect works after 2 weeks with Pfizer. News says single dose of Pfizer shot gives 2/3 protection. So now it will be 95% protection

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The syringe thing is a red herring.

There is no real shortage of actual vaccination syringes. This whole problem is due to a money grab by Pfizer.

The vials did not change, the amount Vaccine in them did not change, what did change was Pfizer relabeling the vials 6 doses instead of the original 5 doses.

This happened once reports got out that in the UK they realised by using a certain type of syringe they could squeeze out a 6th dose for free.

So paid for 5 got 6 doses.

That did not make Pfizer happy so instead of production line changes they just changed the labeling to claim 6 doses and the need for a different syringe they clearly knew many places do not have in quantity.

That way they get more money for each vial and are nearly guaranteed a dose will be wasted in many places so those places will need to make up that lost dose by buying extra Vaccine.

Go back check BBC, CBC CNN all reported on this as the Free extra dose. Guess Pfizer wasn't going to let anyone get a single dose for free.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

@virusrex

Whether it is lost in the vial or the syringe is not the real point.

The real point is why once Pfizer realised some and I repeat only some places were getting 6 doses from 5 dose vials did it change the labeling to 6 doses?

These started a 5 doses nothing changed, not the size of the vial not the amount of Vaccine in the vial only the label now says 6 doses.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Whether it is lost in the vial or the syringe is not the real point.

Yes, but it is important to understand that using that extra dose is not as simple as some people believe, it is not even that easy with special syringes.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

@virusrex

We had single dose preloaded meds way back 40 years ago in syringes kept outside on containers in temperatures as low as -60°C it is not that big a difference from -60 to -75 so I do wonder why it was not possible to just use preloaded syringes makes everything far easier.

If -60°C syringes was possible 40 years ago I am sure -75°C is possible today.

Granted the contents were not Vaccine but possible needed meds due to long long periods of isolation and no access to hospitals because of winter in the most northern regions of Canada.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The USA, which has exhibited a rather curious response to SARSCov-2, has managed to inoculate approximately 45 million of it citizens, 

Easy to do when the majority of production especially for Pfizer and Corning (the only company making the special glass for the -75°c vials and then you block all exports.

Canada got a single shipment of Pfizer from the USA then nothing because of the no export policy.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

If -60°C syringes was possible 40 years ago I am sure -75°C is possible today.

Possible it sure is, but other considerations may put it in a disadvantage over the simplest way.

It may take longer to package it that way, or waste more vaccine, or be more fragile, or temperature not so easy to maintain, etc. It could be so simple as needing a couple of extra months to be able to manufacture it that way for no perceived advantage.

One point to remember is that none of the vaccines produced right now are a mature product completely optimized , they are an emergency measure focused on safety and efficacy. Maybe a slight change in the formulation could give the same effect while simplifying production or delivery, but nobody has tried it yet.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Dafuq! I am so done with Japanese bureaucracy.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I would like just one person to explain how Japan could have started vaccinations earlier when it couldn't have gotten any Vaccine earlier no matter how hard it tried because the EU and USA have been blocking exports.

And that is a fact as just this week the EU finally OKed Japan's initial shipment.

So instead of down voting try giving an intelligent response and how with no Vaccine and no idea if or when it would get any was Japan supposed to make a schedule and start vaccinations.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Suga is scrambling to secure suitable syringes so doses won't go to waste.

Wait.......They aren't going to double dip are they? Just dip it once, and END IT!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If there is still a need eg ‘vaccine passports’ and if I don’t see adverse reactions of these vaccines after a year, then, I will take my chances for now.

The last pandemic in 1918 did not last decades and neither will this one...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This seems to be a global issue.

I very much doubt that Japan has received all 120million doses, so how about talking with Pfizer/BioNTech about sticking a good portion of thse doses into a different vial that standard needles can reach the bottom of . . . . . . .

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-vaccines-needles/analysis-russian-roulette-in-europe-as-needle-shortages-hamper-covid-19-shots-idUKKBN29Y12I

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

> > Incomplete fact. Your statement is correct if you accept the double standard. A covid19 death is anyone who tests positive regardless of the actual cause of death. A vaccination death will be dishonestly fought against tooth and nail....

That is false, both kinds of deaths depend on a medical professional stating that it had a role in the patient dying. Conspiracies without proof saying that one is false even with proof and the other must be always the case even in complete absence of proof are not a valid argument, that is just imagination.

It is extremely simple to compare deaths between people with and without infection and find much higher numbers with it and of course a very clear etiological relationship, on the other hand there is no evidence like this for the reported deaths of people vaccinated and unvaccinated, only people invalidly attributing anything negative to the vaccines, even if unvaccinated people had a higher rate.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

Oh great !

I can't wait for mine.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@virusrex

Thank you, I was just wondering.

I was a search and rescue paramedic so limited knowledge on this.

But I would think that despite the possible production problems it would be simpler and far faster to administer and just about anyone could be very quickly trained to do it, freeing up medical personnel to deal with the sick and handle post Vaccine observation and intervention if needed.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Really curious about how news regarding this need for special syringes were being written/reported.

They were slanted to put the blame on customers for not having enough of the special syringes whereas these syringes were originally not required.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Thanks but no thanks. You guys go ahead, I'm healthy and young, no need to put that thing in my body, I will probably wait a couple of decades. No travel, no problem.

If you don't care for others go ahead but you could be in for a bad surprise.

I was very healthy early 20s strong, worked search and rescue.

Got a simple microplasm pneumonia usually not a problem for the young and strong and easily treatable.

Well this time that little bug decided it wasn't going away and it nearly killed me caused permanent damage to my lungs and kidneys that still affect me today well over 30 years later.

Covid-19 virus is far worse than that treatable bacteria.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

That's great news!

Would do a long way easing the frontliners' minds.

I think their families should be among those prioritized also

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I find a lot of people can't have the correct perspective for something that happens once in a hundred vs once in a million especially those from non-science background. To them, the conclusion is it can happen and will happen to him or her.

Hence there are so many anti-vaccine people or people buying lottery ticket.

T

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The special syringe is called a "low dead-space" syringe and the "special" thing about it is that it retains a low amount if fluid compared to a regular one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_dead_space_syringe

Solution:

Use a regular syringe, draw the last dose from seven vials and inject then into an empty vial.

Problem solved.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

I still feel this all rushed. UK and Australia stopped the Pfizer vaccine because of adverse effects and some deaths.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

Can you support your claim that this is safe? You are making some very bold suggestions. @InspectorGadget 7:59a JST I very much doubt that Japan has received all 120million doses, so how about talking with Pfizer/BioNTech about { sticking a good portion of thse doses into a different vial that standard needles can reach the bottom of . . . . . . .}

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Presumably the photo is just a publicity shot, because the vial pictured does not look like something it would be hard to remove the last 1/6 out of. It's almost an invitation to amateur science hour solutions.

Based on my highly relevant experience with bottles of shampoo, I recommend injecting blood into 1/6 full vial, swilling it about, and then reinjecting the blood/vaccine mix.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Two months after most other nations started giving the shots. What has been the hold-up? Seriously, what happened?

I read a few days ago that over here in the States 11% of the population has gotten at least one shot, with daily numbers of shots given steadily increasing towards 2 million per day, and meanwhile Japan still hasn't started? Amazing.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I read a few days ago that over here in the States 11% of the population has gotten at least one shot, with daily numbers of shots given steadily increasing towards 2 million per day, and meanwhile Japan still hasn't started? Amazing.

Did you skip over the fact that the USA produces most Pfizer Vaccine and the Corning vials used and that the USA blocked all exports!

Or has the USA news conveniently left that out.

Canada started only for the USA to block it's orders so no more Vaccine, it then ordered from the EU which also blocked exports.

So no new shipments in months.

Japan's Vaccine orders were blocked by both the EU and USA with the EU only this week saying some of that order can now be shipped to Japan.

So if Japan cannot get the vaccine because Both the EU and USA wouldn't let any to be sent here, explain how Japan is supposed to start?

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

If you have not bought into pharmaceutical stocks by now, you are late.

Too much arguing here. Buy stock.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Well this time that little bug decided it wasn't going away and it nearly killed me caused permanent damage to my lungs and kidneys that still affect me today well over 30 years later.

I'm sorry to hear what happened to you, still I don't want to toy around with those rushed things. No need to fix what's not broken. If I get it and die, so be it.

If I get it and have disabling long term sequels, there are clinics in the Netherlands and Belgium that can fix that, if you know what I mean.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Maybe you have a point. Please explain: @Michael Machida  8:28a JSTSo Japan wants to use only [Made in Japan]syringes? Sorry, can’t repost your bold comments. However there are not enough to go around? Clue me in because this story is ridiculous! ; ^ 0

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Pfizer vaccine expensive!

i agree with Goodlucktoyou!!!

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Very low uptake being seen around the world with these rushed to market experimental vaccines. The mainstream media of course not reporting on it

-4 ( +23 / -27 )

Polio booster vaccines are placed on the tongue. Similar to blotter acid. If they can make that vaccine edible it would solve a lot of issues.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Solution:

Use a regular syringe, draw the last dose from seven vials and inject then into an empty vial.

Problem solved

Are you an expert in that kind of transfer?

I believe that losses do occur for each extraction reextraction.

I have an other idea.

Inject randomly a placebo corresponding to 12 million doses and problem solved. Nobody will notice it, and people mindset will make them believing they are immune.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Well, there is a risk of death with these vaccines, even in the young and healthy.

Fact!

Incomplete fact, you forgot the part where the risk is incredibly low compared with COVID-19 infection, even in the young and healthy. People predisposed to allergic reactions are also more vulnerable to infection.

Incomplete fact. Your statement is correct if you accept the double standard. A covid19 death is anyone who tests positive regardless of the actual cause of death. A vaccination death will be dishonestly fought against tooth and nail....

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

There is no real excuse for the vaccine campaign in Japan not to go perfectly smooth. They have been studying and planning longer than any other advanced nation. 

Now read the news in other countries.

All had made plans and very few excited the big guys like Germany in the EU have been able to follow their supposed plan.

And the only reason those few could stick to their plan was by blocking exports of the vaccine to others.

Canada has a plan then Vaccine was blocked by the USA, so it made another plan only to have the vaccine blocked this time by the EU now it has come up with another plan and again this one may fail also despite this time the EU saying it will permit the vaccine to be exported to Canada but I wouldn't hold my breath on that promise.

Plans made without knowing if your partner in the endeavor will cooperate is a non plan and seeing the EU only this week OKed Japan's initial Vaccine shipment basically means any plans made prior to that were of little use.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

They were slanted to put the blame on customers for not having enough of the special syringes whereas these syringes were originally not required.

Power of the pharmaceutical industry, safer to blame the customer than risk legal action from a corporation with literally tens of billions of dollars in annual net profits and more lawyers than every news service in the world put together.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

One point to remember is that none of the vaccines produced right now are a mature product completely optimized , they are an emergency measure focused on safety and efficacy.

Yes, that is why many of us consider them rushed experimental vaccines. I am surprised to finally see you write that.

Even vaccines that developed and tested over many years have serious adverse effects. But we are expected to accept these rushed ones.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Just wondering, but is there anyway that these dead draw syringes can be recycled, until enough production is online. I don't mean reuse the same needle like we did years ago, but some way to completely disinfect them.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Most expensive vaccine. No proof it works on UK1, South Africa, Brazil and the new UK2 variants.

Storage and distribution is likely not effective in Japan and very expensive.

give the Sputnik V vaccine to all over 65yrs, care home workers.

Winter will be over soon. Only 6000-7000 deaths in Japan. Less than seasonal influenza. We should wait a while. Close the borders or struck quarantine.

-6 ( +8 / -14 )

"But it has not yet announced a detailed roll-out plan for the jabs"

but in the same article:

"Around 10,000 medical workers will be the first people vaccinated in Japan, with officials hoping to expand the rollout to the elderly from April."

It seems to me that government has a detailed plan.

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

There have been 100s of people with allergic reactions!

Allergic reactions have killed people, from Norway to the US.

This is why there is a 30 minute waiting period after receiving the vaccine to watch for adverse reactions.

"When we have confirmed the vaccine's efficacy and safety, we will start vaccination by the middle of next week," Suga said.

Well, there is a risk of death with these vaccines, even in the young and healthy.

Fact!

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

> Incomplete fact, you forgot the part where the risk is incredibly low compared with COVID-19 infection, even in the young and healthy. People predisposed to allergic reactions are also more vulnerable to infection.

Err no.

Either a fact is a fact or not.

There are no half facts!

For example the force of gravity, on the earth is 9.81 meters per second squared-fact.

People have died from these vaccines-fact.

Also, people predisposed to allergic reactions are more predisposed to infections?

Where did that come from?

Surely, you meant to write that people predisposed to allergic reactions face a greater chance of side effects having taken the vaccine?

Now that would be a fact...

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

"Because the vaccine’s efficacy and safety have only been determined by non-Japanese and we know that Japanese people are special and non-Japanese testing cannot be trusted."

If you were Japan would trust the outside world? There are already reports that some vaccine makers passed on some critical tests. Would the US and Europe report the truth?

In the scientific process you have run the experiment and study again to make sure you get the same results.

It is good science.

-11 ( +7 / -18 )

Two Italian nurses, a doctor and a pharmacist, all previously healthy and only in their 40s, have died of heart attacks after getting the at least one dose of the Pfizer Covid "vaccine".

Like the lockdowns, these "vaccines" which are not actually vaccines in the technical sense, are almost certainly going to turn out to be worse than the disease for everyone under the age of 70 even in the short term. And it will not be even remotely surprising if the long-term consequences turn out to be catastrophic. 

Meanwhile, the more conventional vaccines don't appear to work as well as acquiring natural immunity.

Vaccine manufacturer Merck has abandoned development of two coronavirus vaccines, saying that after extensive research it was concluded that the shots offered less protection than just contracting the virus itself and developing antibodies. The company announced that the shots V590 and V591 were ‘well tolerated’ by test patients, however they generated an ‘inferior’ immune system response in comparison with natural infection. 

And the vaccine news just keeps getting better:

At least 36 people may have developed a rare blood disorder, known as immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), after taking either Pfizer and BioNTech or Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines, according to a report. 

At this point, you'd have to be crazy to roll the dice with these vaccines rather than the virus if you're not an obese 68-year old man with asthma. If you're old and in a high-risk group with comorbidities, sure, take your chances with the shots. Otherwise, it makes no sense. The complete inability of people to grasp the probabilities involved would be depressing if one wasn't already aware how uneducated and easily manipulated they are on average.

-11 ( +8 / -19 )

By referring to COVID-19 vaccines as “vaccines” rather than gene therapies, the U.S. government is violating its 15 U.S. Code Section 41, which regulates deceptive practices in medical claims

The mRNA injections are gene therapies that do not fulfill a single criteria or definition of a vaccine

COVID-19 “vaccines” do not impart immunity or inhibit transmissibility of the disease. They only are designed to lessen your infection symptoms if or when you get infected. As such, these products do not meet the legal or medical definition of a vaccine

Since a vast majority of people who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 have no symptoms at all, they’ve not even been able to establish a causal link between the virus and the clinical disease

By calling this experimental gene therapy technology a “vaccine,” they are circumventing liability for damages that would otherwise apply

All of these disorders being caused by the vaccines are autoimmune disorders. That many vaccines, in general, cause autoimmunity is well-known in the vaccine "skeptic" community. In fact, its the reason why vaccine "skeptics" exist in the first place. That this new mRNA vaccine is also causing these reactions is disturbing. Its disturbing because many of us thought that all of the problems with adult vaccines, mostly autoimmunity, were due to either Thimerosal or the adjuvants, and that the development of vaccines without these would be "safe". The mRNA vaccine has neither of these ingredients and, yet, we are seeing many problems of autoimmunity from it. This means that either there are other compounds in the vaccine that are causing the problems or that the very process of vaccination itself causes autoimmunity in some individuals.

-12 ( +5 / -17 )

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