Japan Expedites Virus Boosters for Some as Omicron Looms
- Health workers and elderly to get shots slightly earlier
- Premier says he secured 2 million virus drug doses from Pfizer
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Japanese will accelerate the rollout of booster shots for health workers and the elderly, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, as the country braces for the spread of the omicron variant already causing surges elsewhere.
Medical workers and elderly at particularly high risk of suffering severe symptoms would be eligible for booster shots six months after receiving their second immunization, two months faster than planned, Kishida told reporters Friday. Starting next February, other elderly people would be able to receive shots after a seven-month gap.