Japan’s health minister has claimed that a needle breaking off pieces of rubber on Covid vaccine vials likely caused the foreign substance found in contaminated Moderna shots, causing Tokyo to suspend 2.6 million jabs.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Norihisa Tamura offered a possible explanation for the contaminating matter found in Moderna vaccines in the prefecture of Okinawa. He said that it was most likely the result of needles being incorrectly inserted into vials, resulting in pieces of rubber entering the vaccine.
The health minister insisted, however, that “whatever the reason [for the foreign matter], we have heard that there is no safety or other issues.” He promised that the authorities “will continue to gather information and report back” on any updates. (RT)
