Japan aiming for enough coronavirus vaccine jabs for citizens by the middle of 2021

It is not clear how long AstraZeneca’s pause of the clinical trial will last
REUTERS

The global race to develop a coronavirus vaccine gathered pace today with Japan aiming to get enough jabs for all its citizens by the middle of next year.

The Japanese government has approved spending 671.4 billion yen (£4.82bn) from emergency budget reserves with the aim of securing free coronavirus vaccines for its population.

Meanwhile, Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac has said its coronavirus vaccine candidate appeared to be safe for older people, according to preliminary results from a trial.

It comes after UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock dramatically raised hopes of a Covid-19 vaccine in the new year.

Countries are desperately trying to develop a vaccine in order to return life to normal.

The issue has also become a bone of contention in the US presidential race, with Donald Trump and Joe Biden trading insults over their positions on a vaccine.

Donald Trump slams Biden over coronavirus plan

President Trump has hinted that a vaccine could be available before the November election, accusing the Democrats of “reckless anti-vaccine rhetoric”.

At a White House news conference, the President said: “It’s so dangerous for our country, what they say, but the vaccine will be very safe and very effective.”

He made the comments after Senator Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ vice presidential candidate, said she “would not trust his word” on getting the vaccine.

Mr Biden said President Trump had said “so many things that aren’t true, I’m worried if we do have a really good vaccine, people are going to be reluctant to take it. So he’s undermining public confidence.”

Mr Hancock said yesterday that it was “looking up” that the vaccine being developed by experts at the University of Oxford and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca would be granted approval for use soon after trials in several countries, including the UK, US and Brazil.

He said the manufacturing of doses had already started so that it could be “rolled out” across the country when given the all-clear.

It comes as ministers called on people to stick to coronavirus rules or risk them being tightened amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the UK.