Japan is considering making the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions eligible for fourth coronavirus vaccine shots, in line with recommendations by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, government sources said Tuesday.
Five people were found to be infected at a facility for the disabled in Sakura City by 16 April, which the prefecture judged to be a cluster.
Japanese prefectural officials are increasingly believing that the country is about to enter a seventh wave of COVID-19 infections as cases are surging in some regional areas.
A 39-year-old man with visual and hearing impairments claims that he suffered emotional distress because he was prohibited from going to work with a colleague who was assisting him and was advised to resign because he had been infected with a new type of coronavirus.
The online survey, conducted by the Japanese Nursing Association on its members last autumn, obtained answers from around 5,100 members, with the response rate standing at 34.0 pct. The average age of respondents came to 41.3 and women accounted for 93.5 pct of all respondents. Of the respondents, 86.6 pct were nurses, while the rest were made up of midwives, public health nurses and others.
According to the Fukushima city ward, from the 23rd to the 27th, 12 people, including users and staff in their teens to 70s were confirmed to be infected.
Japan will start preparations for the administration of fourth shots of coronavirus vaccines, a health ministry subcommittee agreed Thursday, after the government said it would procure additional doses from two U.S. pharmaceutical companies.
The details, including whether to actually administer the additional booster shots and who would be eligible, will be determined later.
A new cluster of the coronavirus was found a welfare facility for the people with disabilities on March 18th.
While the number of visitors to donation rooms are almost at target levels despite the pandemic, there has been a spate of cancellations of offers to accept donation buses, due to concerns about the infection spread.
A 24-year-old man with a severe intellectual disability died four days after he was sent to hospital with COVID-19 and then returned home without sufficient examination or treatment, his family told the Mainichi Shimbun on March 9.
Barrier Free Japan