Photo/Illutration This handout photo taken in Oct. 2020 and provided by Pfizer shows part of a "freezer farm," a football field-sized facility for storing finished COVID-19 vaccines, in Puurs, Belgium. (Pfizer via AP)

With COVID-19 vaccines nearing a public rollout across the world, the Diet passed legislation on Dec. 2 ensuring that they will be free to residents in Japan when they hit the market.

The Upper House approved revisions to the Immunization Law to have the government pick up the costs of the coronavirus vaccines.

The government will also assume responsibility for any lawsuits filed against vaccine manufacturers by those who suffer health problems as a result of being vaccinated. 

In addition, the Upper House also passed a bill to revise the Quarantine Law to extend for up to one year a special measure allowing for quarantining at medical institutions new arrivals in Japan who are found infected with COVID-19. Previously, the period had been set at under one year.

The change to the Immunization Law will not obligate residents to be vaccinated, but only asks that they make every effort to do so.

Because some people may decide not to be vaccinated due to safety concerns, the revised law also included a supplementary provision calling on the government to strongly urge the public to not discriminate against those choosing not to get the vaccine.

The government will also be asked to set up consultation centers for those who feel they have been bullied or disadvantaged economically for not getting vaccinated.

The measures passed the Diet as pharmaceutical companies gained approval in Britain for vaccines against the novel coronavirus.

The British government granted emergency approval to vaccines developed by Pfizer of the United States and BioNTech of Germany.

While plans call for using those vaccines in Japan, the approval process here has not yet begun so there is no timetable as to when the vaccines will become available to the public.

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