Moderna has pulled 1.63 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine out of circulation in Japan over contamination concerns.
Health officials reported that particulates a few millimeters in size were found in doses at multiple vaccination sites in Japan. The doses were manufactured in Spain. Some have already been administered, but no adverse side effects have been reported.
Although the lot affected included 565,400 doses, Moderna decided to halt the use of two adjacent lots out of an abundance of caution, and the company has been asked to launch an emergency investigation.
The recall will impact supplies at 863 vaccine sites in Japan, where COVID-19 cases are surging.
So far, no other lots of COVID-19 vaccines in circulation have been recalled. But about 75 million doses of J&J’s vaccines were tossed from an Emergent BioSolutions facility due to cross-contamination with AstraZeneca’s shots.
