Photo/Illutration A person receives a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Tokyo’s Minato Ward as a fourth dose became available on May 25. (Jin Nishioka)

The government has decided to allow health care workers and staff at facilities for the elderly to receive a fourth dose of the novel coronavirus vaccine starting next week.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the decision at a news conference on July 14.

A fourth jab is currently available to people 60 or older who have received a third shot and five months have passed from their last shot, and people 18 and older with underlying conditions.

The government initially said that it was unclear whether a fourth dose would prove effective for people under 60.

But the government decided to expand eligibility for the fourth dose after receiving advice from experts.

Since late June, the novel coronavirus has been spreading again across the country. New cases surpassed 70,000 on July 12, and many prefectures recorded their highest number of daily cases ever.

The National Governors’ Association and other organizations had called on the government to give health care workers and staff of facilities for the elderly a fourth jab.

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