Nikkei reported that the Health Ministry announced on Monday an agreement with Pfizer to purchase 10 million additional doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. The ministry will reportedly procure the additional doses in March. The paper said that as a result, Japan is expected to import about 46 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by the end of March, of which 34 million doses will be administered to the general public and the remaining 12 million doses to children. Regarding the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11, Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno reportedly said on Monday that the GOJ is taking the necessary steps to begin vaccinating them before March.