Japan will receive its second shipment of Pfizer Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday, the minister in charge of vaccination efforts said Friday, as the rollout gradually expands to hospitals across the country.

Taro Kono said at a news conference the shipment of up to 452,790 doses is set to arrive after the European Union gave approval under its new vaccine export controls.

Japan, which received its first shipment of up to 386,100 doses from Pfizer's factory in Belgium last week, launched its vaccination program on Wednesday starting with an initial group of 40,000 healthcare workers.