Novel coronavirus vaccinations for around 14,000 medical staff from the Self-Defense Forces began Monday, the Defense Ministry said, as part of a program launched last month to inoculate health care workers nationwide.

The Pfizer Inc. vaccine will be administered to about 6,000 staff at 16 SDF medical institutions nationwide, including the National Defense Medical College Hospital in Saitama Prefecture, as well as to about 8,000 other SDF members in medical services.

Workers involved in transporting emergency patients from remote islands will also be among those eligible for the vaccine, the ministry said.