Japan to Provide 3.7 M Vaccines to 9 Countries, Including Egypt

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday that the country plans to deliver 3.7 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to nine nations.

The nine countries will include for the first time nations in Africa and Latin America, as part of an international effort to ensure fair access to inoculations.

Tokyo will give COVID-19 vaccines made by AstraZeneca Plc. in Japan to Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Tonga, Vanuatu, Nicaragua, Egypt, Syria and Yemen under the U.N.-backed COVAX Facility program, Hayashi told a press conference.

The Foreign Minister stated that Japan had already donated about 30 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to other countries, adding that the government is also preparing for additional direct provision of vaccines to Vietnam.

The country "will continue to provide vaccines, taking account of situations such as domestic production, vaccine availability...and vaccine demand in each country and area," the minister said.

Meanwhile, Tokyo confirmed 16 new cases of novel COVID-19 infection on Friday, down by six from a week earlier and below 30 for the eighth straight day. No new deaths were reported among COVID-19 patients in the Japanese capital.