Government to expand subsidies for cervical cancer vaccine amid shortages

TOKYO —

The government decided Monday to expand its subsidies for vaccinations for preventing cervical cancer as the supply of the vaccine is running short throughout Japan following a surge in demand since the subsidy program was launched in November, government officials said.

According to GlaxoSmithKline KK, the manufacturer and distributor of the vaccine, orders for January and February have come close to around 1 million shots, the level equivalent to the total amount shipped between December 2009, when the vaccine first hit the Japanese market, and January this year.

Although the supply from late February has been tight, the firm said that it has the capacity to supply the 4 million shots needed per year and that it expects to be able to ensure a stable supply by around July.

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