＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・ワクチンはファイザー・モデルナに限定し、アストラゼネカは購入キャンセルを！
<Added June 15, 2021> AstraZeneca vaccines provided free of charge to Taiwan, Vietnam, and other countries
In light of the resurgence of infections in Taiwan, which was once considered a “model student” of COVID-19 containment, the Japanese government has provided Taiwan with 1.24 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine free of charge. It appears that Taiwan’s purchase of vaccines from Germany was obstructed by China, possibly due to Taiwan’s refusal of Chinese-made vaccines.
Furthermore, the government has decided to provide approximately 1 million doses free of charge to Vietnam, and plans to provide AstraZeneca vaccines free of charge to other ASEAN countries such as Indonesia and Thailand in the future.
<Added May 21, 2021> Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines officially approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
However, the policy is that AstraZeneca’s vaccine will “not be immediately used for public vaccination.”
Regarding COVID-19 vaccinations in Japan, following “healthcare workers,” vaccinations have now begun for “elderly people aged 65 and over.”
There was some confusion, such as the phone lines being almost always busy for vaccination appointments, difficulty in making online reservations, and elderly people flocking to clinics and city halls early in the morning to make appointments. However, now that it has finally started, elderly people are relieved.
1. Comparison of vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca
The Japanese government appears to have contracts for vaccine supply from Pfizer (194 million doses, enough for 97 million people), Moderna (50 million doses, enough for 25 million people), and AstraZeneca (120 million doses, enough for 60 million people). What are the efficacy and characteristics of these vaccines?
(1) Pfizer and Moderna
According to an announcement from the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), Moderna’s vaccine showed a 94.1% efficacy rate in a Phase 3 clinical trial involving over 30,000 participants.
This “efficacy rate” was measured using both the real vaccine and a “placebo,” and whether or not participants contracted COVID-19 within a certain period after vaccination was investigated.
The results showed that infections were frequent in the placebo group, while infections were almost non-existent in the group that received the real Moderna vaccine.
Similarly, Pfizer’s vaccine, tested using the same method, also showed an efficacy rate of approximately 95%.
The vaccines from both companies are very similar in design to other vaccines under development, and it is thought that the results were similar as a result.
(2) AstraZeneca
According to clinical trial results published in November 2020, AstraZeneca’s vaccine showed 70% efficacy, exceeding the FDA’s minimum requirement of 50%.
While Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines are “mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines” that contain the information to create the base sequence of the antigen protein, AstraZeneca’s vaccine is a “viral vector” type. This type uses a harmless common cold virus to deliver a portion of the genetic material of the novel coronavirus into the body, thereby acquiring immunity.
Considering that the effectiveness rate of influenza vaccines, which are common to us, is 30-50% for Japanese adults, all three vaccines developed by these three companies can be said to be high-performance.
2. AstraZeneca’s vaccine has a low effectiveness rate, so the purchase should be canceled.
For medical institutions administering the vaccine, the low cost and the fact that it can be stored in the refrigerator for six months are undoubtedly major attractions.
Incidentally, while Pfizer initially stated a storage period of “five days in the refrigerator,” a report on May 19th indicated that it can now be stored for “31 days in the refrigerator.”
However, what concerns us most as recipients of the vaccine is, of course, the “effectiveness rate.” Several comparison tables exist for the three companies’ vaccines, but in all of them, the effectiveness rate of the AstraZeneca vaccine is 62-90%, which is inferior to Pfizer and Moderna’s 94-95%.
Since no vaccine has a 100% effectiveness rate, the risk of infection remains, as does the risk of side effects.
However, reports of deaths and “blood clot” side effects after AstraZeneca vaccination in Europe, and a series of deaths after AstraZeneca vaccination in South Korea, are also concerning.
While approval decisions for the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines are expected as early as May 20th, I believe that even if the AstraZeneca vaccine is approved, there will be very few people who want to be vaccinated.
Similar to the Pfizer vaccine, there have been cases of surplus vaccines being discarded. I am concerned that the AstraZeneca vaccine may also face the risk of large quantities being discarded due to canceled appointments.
Therefore, even if additional purchase contracts are made for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, I believe it would be wiser to cancel the purchase of the AstraZeneca vaccine to avoid unnecessary expenses.
Incidentally, the United States has not yet approved the AstraZeneca vaccine.
This is because AstraZeneca may seek a more cautious and time-consuming “full marketing authorization” from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rather than an “emergency use authorization,” which requires a large amount of data.
The White House indicated late last month that it plans to provide up to 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to other countries.