Japan considers 4th vaccine shots for elderly, chronically ill patients

in line with recommendations by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party,

Where's recommendation from health expert?

The main purpose of vaccinations is to prevent the development of severe symptoms, for which third doses have shown to be effective in preventing in young people against the Omicron variant.

The main purpose of vaccination was initially to prevent against infection.

So the third dose is efficient in protecting young people against Omicron ? Is that the meaning ? The article seems to target young people, as a scapegoat.

Limiting the eligibility for the fourth shots stemmed from reports the effectiveness of such shots has been low in younger people and similar trends overseas 

???

Kyodo should employ professional translators, or proofread articles with native speakers

Wen the 5th one?

The main purpose of vaccination was initially to prevent against infection

That is not correct, the main purpose of vaccination, is the prevention of dangerous complications and death. Preventing the infection is very positive but realistically speaking is not possible for a vaccine to aim for this as the main purpose, this applies to all other vaccines for infectious diseases.

The text means that for the majority of the population the protection from vaccination and a booster (togheter with Omicron that is less likely to complicate) is enough to provide enough protection, but this may not be the case for people that have heavy predisposing conditions.

You can see how well four doses has worked in Israel...

You mean deaths on single and double digits for a peak that went over a thousand times more? that is extremely effective, I mean obviously the increase in infections over hundreds of times was caused by Omicron, but that deaths did not increased hundreds of times was also thanks the the protection the population got.

It is rather hard to understand why there is such a monomania around these things when zinc and vitamin D could also be distributed. "If it saves one life..."

Zinc and vitamin D do not guarantee a person will not have serious complications or even die, and on those that already have adequate levels it doesn't even have an effect. The protection granted by the vaccines is independent of this, so making the argument that they could be replaced by supplements is irrational.

Covid isn’t going away. We should plan on getting 1 or 2 jabs yearly from now. What’s the point in a vaccine if the efficacy “wanes over time”? Pain in the butt but, hey, the government is paying for it!

The main purpose of vaccinations is to prevent the development of severe symptoms, for which third doses have shown to be effective in preventing in young people against the Omicron variant.

….

Really?

Then why is the quarantine office allowing those with 3 shots to avoid quarantine and those with two shots to quarantine at home for a week when entering the country?

3,4,5 vaccinations won’t prevent those infected from from spreading or catching the virus.

And the young have not been at risk from the virus, especially now.

Expected, the government already bought them, so they need to use them.

They will probably first increase the testing again to have more cases, do another round of emergency and then propose the 4th dose.

Probably after Golden Week, to avoid damaging more the travel industry.

Or they can just use pets for the doses left. Pets still didn't have any dose, when are they starting the campaign?

My brother and his family are sick with Covid19 right now. Kids are mild condition, his wife is sick and nobody will tell me about my brother. All had two Pfizer vaccines and the 3rd booster shot.

Everybody should get the 5th and stay safe out there.

Then why is the quarantine office allowing those with 3 shots to avoid quarantine and those with two shots to quarantine at home for a week when entering the country?

Because not all decisions are made according to scientific recommendations. This is not the first nor the last time the goverment does things for their convenience even if they go against the best available evidence.

And the young have not been at risk from the virus, especially now.

Young and healthy people can still get seriously ill or even die from Omicron, if that were not the case there would be no demonstrated benefit from vaccination. A secondary benefit is that being vaccinated also reduces the rates of infection and transmission even for variants different from the one the vaccine is designed for.

Because not all decisions are made according to scientific recommendations. This is not the first nor the last time the goverment does things for their convenience even if they go against the best available evidence

….

Unusually, I find my self agreeing with you regarding the illogical decisions made by this Japanese administration.

I was being sarcastic.

My brothers family is truly sick and isolated. I can’t visit my dying mother overseas because I’m not vaccinated.

Media/govt forces us to be vaccinated , and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called unvaccinated “criminals” while raking in $39 billion profit in SARS-CoV-19 vaccines alone last year. He also admitted that you can still transmit and receive Covid19 even with their vaccination.

i just worry about my brothers family.

The main reason why people hesitate to take the vaccine with all its boosters is, that now everywhere they can see people are getting sick and also seriously sick, even they are already 3 times vaccinated.

Every day people read and hear that more and more people are getting sick even 3x vaccinated.

And that is the point: Getting sick even 3x vaccinated.

That the vaccine’s main purpose is that people will not die from COVID is irrelevant, because for the people out there, the main point and the really important thing is: Take the vaccine and don't get sick.

That is what all the experts and scientists do not understand.

Most of the people took the vaccine to be protected from getting sick!

Of course there are people who know and understand that they can get sick even they are vaccinated, but deep inside themselves, they also hope that the vaccine will protect them from getting sick.

Everyone I know who got sick, even 3x vaccinated, and so far I know a lot, are very disappointed, because they got sick even they are 3x vaccinated. And some got really tough sick.

All of these people will not take any further booster.

Because they are dissapointed.

And like I said, that the vaccine is not made to protect you from getting sick, but made to protect you from dying, is irrelevant for the people.

And as more can be heard and seen, in the media, among friends and families, as more people hear and see during their daily lives about infections and getting sick even 3x vaccinated, as more people will refuse the vaccine. Especially a 4th booster.

That is what the experts and scientists must understand.

The people out there are disappointed from the effectiveness of the vaccine.

And all argues, that the vaccine protects you (probably) from dying, doesn’t count for the people as much as the vaccine do not protect you from getting sick.

Because catching Corona, even without the vaccine or any booster, doesn't automatically mean that you will die. This risk is very very very low.

But catching Corona and getting sick, even you are 3x vaccinated, this risk is very high.

And these two risks are what people are comparing.

And many of the results from this comparing end up in refusing any further booster.

He also admitted that you can still transmit and receive Covid19 even with their vaccination.

You act as if anyone has ever claimed otherwise. You extremists love to get angry at the rhetoric you've made up in your heads, and unfortunately usually lack the intelligence to realize you should fact-check yourselves before posting.

As an apologist for criminals, charlatans and tyrants, anything you post should be taken with nothing but ridicule. You're not really in a position to criticise anyone about intelligence. Lenin even had a pet name for your type: useful idiot.

That the vaccine’s main purpose is that people will not die from COVID is irrelevant, because for the people out there, the main point and the really important thing is: Take the vaccine and don't get sick.

So if the purpose of preventing deaths is irrelevant for "the people out there" it would be fine if they died as long as they don't get too sick before that? Both things are heavily related. The vaccine reduces the risk for both negative consequences happening. If a person purpose is not to get sick then they have two options, one is get vaccinated and be protected from heavy disease, or not be vaccinated and get a much higher risk of getting sick, hospitalized or even die.

That is what all the experts and scientists do not understand.

Most of the people took the vaccine to be protected from getting sick!

And this is part of the protection they are getting, what would be then the alternative?

All of these people will not take any further booster.

And they would still be making a logical mistake, like someone that get a broken rib after getting shot while wearing a bullet proof vest, even if they expected to be completely free of problems the protection is there and not vaccinating (when recommended, not all people benefit from an extra booster) is like choosing not to wear the vest because he still got hurt.

And like I said, that the vaccine is not made to protect you from getting sick, but made to protect you from dying, is irrelevant for the people.

That is still deeply irrational, people care very much about not dying, and vaccines reduce the risk of both things.

That is what the experts and scientists must understand.

The people out there are disappointed from the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Professionals know from a long time ago about this problem, people understanding false or mistaken things for convenience and making irrational decisions because their false expectatives are not met. A huge lot of information has been put everywhere to avoid this, but some people will make up their own mistaken reality no matter how much information is available to them.

There is no mention in this article about Novavax, recently approved in Japan. It has a higher 6 month efficiency than the mRNA vaccines. I can see people wanting to get it because it has fewer side effects or some people don't trust the mRNAs because they're new.

I want people to take this vaccine because it offers better immunity, and may (it's probably too early to tell) finally get us to herd immunity and end the pandemic.

If you're going to get a shot in Japan - look into when this one will be available in your area.

That is not correct, the main purpose of vaccination, is the prevention of dangerous complications and death. Preventing the infection is very positive but realistically speaking is not possible for a vaccine to aim for this as the main purpose, this applies to all other vaccines for infectious diseases.

I know what you mean but that is the purpose now.

As I said, « initially « , the purpose was to prevent infection. It was said so often in the media and it is clearly written in Japanese in the paper I got from the health center with the two coupons last year.

« It is believed that the vaccination protects from infection at 90 % »

I know Omicron was not existing at that time, even Delta was not considered in the studies, but the initial purpose was prevention, then this has shifted

As I said, « initially « , the purpose was to prevent infection. It was said so often in the media and it is clearly written in Japanese in the paper I got from the health center with the two coupons last year.

Could coronavirus infection and coronavirus disease be said same way in Japanese?

As I remember inserts in English say to prevent coronavirus disease 2019

It is rather hard to understand why there is such a monomania around these things when zinc and vitamin D could also be distributed. "If it saves one life..."

Zinc and vitamin D do not guarantee a person will not have serious complications or even die,

Same as the "vaccines".

and on those that already have adequate levels it doesn't even have an effect.

Yeah, just like the vaccines have no effect for those who are already immune. Also, a considerable fraction of the population do not have adequate levels of zinc and vitamin D.

The important difference between the two however is that increasing one's zinc and vitamin D levels in not only extremely cheap and safe, it has additional health benefits. In sharp contrast, the "vaccines" are expensive and their serious side effects (including death) are off the charts.

Same as the "vaccines".

Which obviously makes it necessary to do everything (including vaccination) to be able to have the best possible protection, saying supplements make vaccination superfluous is as valid as the opposite.

Yeah, just like the vaccines have no effect for those who are already immune

Reinfections that are becoming more and more common demonstrate being infected once do not equal being immune, specially when the infection caused only minor symptoms.

The important difference between the two however is that increasing one's zinc and vitamin D levels in not only extremely cheap and safe, it has additional health benefits.

None of which is making the vaccines less necessary. It is the same as all other general health recommendations that doctors and other professionals have clearly promoted, from lowering the blood pressure to controlling the body weight. Everything is part of what can be done to protect against complications and death, vaccination is simply the most direct way to lower the risk from this specific infection and do not require life changes as other interventions do.

@ Monty

You are exactly right.

The vaccine is not a substitute for a strong immune system and that is what stops people from becoming morbidly ill.

The vaccines might help but certainly are not effective at stopping infection.

What stops infection is staying at home and not m.eeting anybody else but that is hardly feasible in the modern day world that we live in.

It has been inconvenient to stop at home and hotel for 2 weeks and then a week recently but I refuse to accept the endless ‘jabs’ that are. Wing rolled out-enough is enough!

For those willing to believe the ´science’ or not then keep lining up for the needle…

It has a higher 6 month efficiency than the mRNA vaccines. I can see people wanting to get it because it has fewer side effects

Sounds good

(Though I myself have felt no ill effects from the booster other than a temperature

Well the choice is yours don't get vaccinated and play dice with getting seriously sick or get a jab, don't really understand the hysterics and endless debating.

So many people here waste so much time effort and money to something that is of no use to them anyway, looking for justification that those aren't actually wasted.