Contaminant in Moderna vaccines suspected to be metallic particles -NHK (updated)
27/08/2021 02:41
(Recasts and updates throughout with more detail, background)
TOKYO, Aug 27 (Reuters) - A contaminant found in a batch of
Moderna Inc's MRNA.O COVID-19 vaccines delivered to Japan is
believed to be a metallic particle, Japanese public broadcaster
NHK reported, citing sources at the health ministry.
Japan on Thursday suspended the use of 1.63 million doses of
Moderna's vaccine, more than a week after the domestic
distributor received reports of contaminants in some vials.
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The NHK report published late on Thursday cited the ministry
as saying the particle reacted to magnets and was therefore
suspected to be a metal. Moderna has described it as
"particulate matter" that did not pose a safety or efficacy
issue.
The health ministry official in charge of vaccine matters
was not immediately available when contacted by Reuters. The
ministry has said the suspension is a precaution.
But the move prompted several Japanese companies to cancel
worker vaccinations and the European drugs regulator to launch
an investigation.
Spanish pharma company Rovi ROVI.MC , which bottles Moderna
vaccines for markets other than the United States, said the
contamination could be due to a manufacturing issue in one of
its production lines and it was conducting an investigation.
The Japanese government has not disclosed how many shots
from the contaminated batch had already been administered. Kyodo
News reported at least 176,000 shots were administered, based on
its own tally of figures reported by local municipalities.
(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and
Jane Wardell)
((ran.kim@thomsonreuters.com; +81-3-4520-1228))