On Sunday, February 14, 2021, Japan’s health minister gave special approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The approval followed a phase 1 and 2 trial in Japan, planned for 160 healthy adults aged 20 to 85.
Two days later, at the press conference of the minister Kōno Tarō, a reporter’s question noted that the vaccine had been approved even though the number of Japanese in the trial was small.