Update ( Aug 30, 2021) Japan finds more contaminants in Moderna vaccines, suspends use of additional 1 Million doses, is investigating deaths of two 30 year olds who died after second dose.
TOKYO/ NEW YORK — About 1.6 million doses of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine have been taken out of use in Japan because of contamination reported in some vials, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said early Thursday.
Several vaccination centers have reported that vaccine vials contained foreign matter, according to an announcement from the ministry, which added it will seek to minimize the impact of the withdrawal on the country’s inoculation program.
The ministry said later in the day that the substance that had been mixed in may have been metal. “It’s a substance that reacts to magnets,” a ministry official said. “It could be metal.”
VIDEO: ULTIMATE Covid Vaccine Magnet Stuck To Arm At Injection Site Compilation #MagnetChallenge (Updated w/ Many Examples)
Takeda Pharmaceutical handles distribution of the U.S.-developed Moderna vaccine in Japan.
Nasdaq-listed Moderna confirmed receiving “several complaints of particulate matter” in vaccine vials distributed in Japan but said it had found “no safety or efficacy issues” related to these reports.
“The company is investigating the reports and remains committed to working transparently and expeditiously with its partner, Takeda, and regulators to address any potential concerns,” a Moderna spokesperson told Nikkei, saying the drugmaker believed a “manufacturing issue” at a plant in Spain was the cause.
Read source: https://asia.nikkei.com/
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Thursday afternoon that he had instructed the ministry to look into the case with safety as the top priority, adding he had received reports that the withdrawal “won’t have a significant impact on the country’s vaccination campaign. –Nikkei
Some people believe the reported magnetism can be explained by graphene oxide, a magnetic nanoparticle studied for its use as a drug delivery platform and other biomedical applications.
Moderna stock took a hit
Subsequent to the announcement, Moderna stock nosedived:
RELATED: NewsRescue- #SilencedVoices: ‘Magnetic Mom’ Brittany Galvin Gives Horrific Account of Her Paralyzing Journey Since Receiving Jabs [VIDEO]
WATCH
