By MIREI JINGUJI/ Staff Writer
November 22, 2023 at 18:25 JST
A COVID-19 vaccine is transferred to a syringe at a hospital in Kamagaya, Chiba Prefecture, in July 2021. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Residents in Japan will have to pay for either a portion or the entire cost of a COVID-19 vaccination starting in April.
In most cases, people 65 or older will need to pay 70 percent of the total inoculation cost under plans the health ministry’s expert panel approved on Nov. 22.
This also applies to those aged 60 to 64 with severe pre-existing health conditions.
Everyone else will need to bear the full cost of the vaccination unless their local governments or employers subsidize it.
Since their rollout during the pandemic, COVID-19 vaccines have been available to everyone, except for infants under 6 months, free of charge.
The latest decision comes as the emergency measure will expire at the end of March.
Under the new system, the vaccines will also be offered annually during the fall and winter.
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