Japan health minister: vaccinations will start Wednesday

The Japanese Health Minister said medical staff on the frontline of the country's hospitals will be the first to receive the coronavirus vaccine when vaccinations begin on Wednesday.

Speaking during a news conference on Tuesday, Norihisa Tamura said that health professionals and elderly people will be next on the line to receive the coronavirus vaccine.

Japan formally approved the Pfizer vaccine on Sunday.

The announcement came after a government panel confirmed that final results of clinical testing conducted in Japan showed that the vaccine had an efficacy similar to what overseas tests showed.

But Tamura said it was important to be clear with citizens about side effects of the vaccines.

Under the current plan, about 20,000 frontline medical workers at hospitals in Japan will get their first shots on Wednesday.

About 3.7 million other medical workers will be next, followed by elderly people, who are expected to get their shots in April.

By June, it's expected that all others will be eligible to receive the vaccine.