TOKYO, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government said on Saturday that it has received a report of a potential side effect from COVID-19 vaccination, namely hives, after the country launched its vaccination program on Wednesday.
The prime minister's office said on social media that the case occurred Friday at a hospital in Toyama Prefecture in central Japan.
Japan received its first batch of up to 386,100 doses of COVID-19 vaccine developed by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc. and Germany's BioNTech SE last week and is set to receive its second shipment on Sunday.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 611 people had been inoculated at 16 medical facilities as of 5:00 p.m. local time Thursday, with no reports of severe allergic reactions or deaths after shots were administered.
If a person dies due to side effects after a coronavirus vaccination, the government will pay 44.2 million yen (419,000 U.S. dollars) in compensation to the bereaved family, according to the health ministry. Enditem
