ファイザー製ワクチン、妊婦は努力義務対象外　１７日接種開始・厚労省

　厚生労働省は１５日、米ファイザー製の新型コロナウイルスワクチンについて、予防接種法に基づく接種の「努力義務」を妊婦には適用しない方針を示した。臨床試験（治験）データが不十分なためで、同日の厚生科学審議会で了承された。厚労省は１６日、こうした方針を全国の自治体に通知する。同社製ワクチンは、国立病院などの医療従事者を対象に１７日から先行接種される。
　新型コロナワクチンの接種は、感染症のまん延防止のため緊急に行う予防接種法上の「臨時接種」と位置付けられる。費用は無料で、国民に接種を受ける努力義務が生じるが、強制ではない。（2021/02/15-21:10）

Pregnant women are out of the scope of a law provision obliging Japanese people to make efforts to receive the U.S. drug maker Pfizer Inc.'s novel coronavirus vaccine, the health ministry said Monday.
   The decision was made due to a lack of sufficient clinical trial data on the vaccine's effects on unborn babies. It was endorsed by the ministry's health council at a meeting the same day and will be made known to local governments across the country the following day.
   Japan will start giving medical workers Pfizer vaccine shots on Wednesday.
   Under the preventive vaccination law, the coronavirus vaccine inoculation is regarded as an extraordinary anti-pandemic program that does not force people to take part but requires them to make efforts to do so.
   Among other decisions at the meeting are that the program will be in place for a year and that vaccination coupons will be sent to all residents aged 16 or older to recommend they get jabs.