On Jul. 20, 2021, Moderna announced that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (MHLW) and Takeda Pharmaceutical had agreed to purchase and distribute an additional 50 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine and its updated variant booster vaccine candidate, if authorized, to begin delivery in 2022.

This new supply agreement was in addition to the prior agreement for 50 million doses in 2021 resulting in a total of 100 million doses for Japan. Moderna was responsible for the manufacture and supply of Moderna’s vaccine candidate, and Takeda, with the support of the MHLW and Moderna, was responsible for all import, local regulatory, development and distribution activities in Japan for these additional 50 million doses beginning in 2022.

The bulk of the first 50 million doses were expected by June, but global demand has slowed that schedule. As a result, Japan’s government has had to halt new applications of companies wanting to set up workplace vaccine centres. Japan has been dependent on imported vaccines for its inoculation programme, which still trails those of most major economies. The government aims to complete the vaccination of its vulnerable elderly population this month and expand it to all adults by November.