Japan said on Friday it would consider sharing its COVID-19 vaccines with other countries as a ruling party committee urged it to provide a portion of its AstraZeneca PLC vaccine stock to Taiwan.
Taiwan is battling a spike in domestic infections and has vaccinated only about 1% of its population, while Japan has secured more than 400 million doses, double what it needs for its adult population.
"We think it's important to ensure fair access to safe and effective vaccines in every country and region towards achieving universal health coverage," Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a news conference.