Japan panel says people 65 or older should get Covid-19 vaccine priority

TOKYO (REUTERS) – A Japanese health ministry panel said on Friday (Dec 25) that people aged 65 or older should get priority for vaccination against Covid-19 as the government sets guidelines that will also prioritise frontline healthcare workers and those with medical conditions.

The panel also specified chronic heart disease, chronic respiratory disease and chronic kidney disease, among others, as underlying conditions that should determine priority for the vaccine.

The recommendations would include 36 million elderly people and 8.2 million people with medical conditions in the first group to receive vaccine shots.