Japan’s Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Norihisa Tamura attends a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, September 16, 2020. REUTERS FILE PHOTO
TOKYO — Japanese health minister Norihisa Tamura told reporters on Tuesday it was highly likely that foreign matter found in COVID-19 vaccines in Okinawa were caused when needles where stuck into the vials.
Moderna Inc vaccines used in the southern prefecture of Okinawa were temporarily halted on Sunday after foreign materials were discovered in vials and syringes.
The health ministry later said the cases may have been due to needles being incorrectly inserted into vials, breaking off bits of the rubber stopper.
RELATED STORIES
Okinawa finds contaminants in Moderna COVID-19 vaccines- NHK
Japan’s Moderna vaccine contamination woes widen as 1 million more shots withdrawn
Moderna withholds 1.63 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in Japan due to contamination