Asian Tech Press (Dec 17) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly spoke by phone Friday with Pfizer Inc. CEO Albert Bourla, asking for an early supply of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.

Citing a Japanese government official, Kyodo News reported that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held phone talks with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on Friday morning. In order to expand the third dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Kishida requested an early supply of COVID-19 booster shots developed by the U.S. pharmaceutical company.

The Japanese government plans to minimize the eight-month interval after a second dose in principle, and has begun exploring options to prioritize administering booster shots to the elderly and health care workers.

In its plans announced in November, Japan indicated that 24 million doses of Pfizer vaccine and 17 million doses of Moderna vaccine would be supplied by the end of February next year.

For the third dose, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) gave fast-track approval for U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna Inc.'s vaccine on Thursday, and allowed a mixed vaccination that uses a booster shot different from the first two doses.