Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Dec. 17 said the government would accelerate COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for 31 million medical workers and senior citizens amid fears over the spread of the Omicron variant in the country. Booster shot intervals for elderly people will be reduced to seven months, instead of eight months, from February onwards. As for healthcare workers and high-risk elderly people, Kishida said they would get their booster shots within six months after their second shot of the vaccine. “Fears about the Omicron variant are spreading, so I’ve decided to move up the schedule to prioritize senior citizens, since the effectiveness of vaccination diminishes faster for them while they are also at higher risks of developing severe illness,” he said, reported Japan Times. Kishida noted that he has spoken with the U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer’s CEO, Albert Bourla, to secure 2 million doses of Pfizer’s oral treatment …
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