Japan to set up $4.4 billion "vaccine fund" under economic package

Japan plans to set up a 500 billion yen ($4.4 billion) fund aimed at supporting firms developing vaccines for infectious diseases and new drugs, under the first economic package to be drawn up since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took office last week, government sources said Wednesday.Kishida has vowed to strengthen the government's coronavirus response, as well as Japan's science and technology. The idea of the fund came as Japanese companies have lagged behind foreign rivals in the development of COVID-19 vaccines and the country has had to rely on foreign doses.Japan will "establish the w…READ FULL ARTICLE