- Japan halts 1.63 million doses of the Moderna vaccine after foreign substances were found in vials.
- The Japanese government and three pharmaceutical corporations are undertaking investigations, and no actual evidence has been discovered.
- The Spanish company that produced the batches said it is investigating the affected lots further.
Two people died in Japan days after receiving doses from a batch of Moderna Covid-19 vaccinations which was later halted due to contamination concerns, according to the country’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, reports CNN.
The link between vaccine and death
According to the ministry and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, which distributes the Moderna vaccine in Japan, the vaccine’s causation and the deaths remain yet to be proven. As a precaution, Japan halted the use of around 1.63 million doses of the Moderna vaccine after foreign substances were discovered in certain vials. While the Japanese government and three pharmaceutical companies involved are conducting investigations, no police inquiry has been declared, and there is no evidence of misconduct at this time.
Investigation underway
“Currently, no link has been confirmed between these deaths and the Moderna vaccine,” Takeda Pharmaceutical Company said. “But we believe it is important to carry out a formal probe to investigate the matter further.”
Rovi, the Spanish business that made the batches, called the impurity “particulate matter” and said it is further looking into the tainted lots.
The 1.63 million doses originated from three different lot numbers shipped to 863 various immunization sites across Japan, some of them being used. According to Takeda, the results of laboratory tests on tainted samples would be available in the following days.
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Source: CNN
