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Japan

Stainless Steel Found in Moderna COVID-19 Doses

Moderna Inc and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd on Wednesday said they are working with Japanese authorities to recall three batches of COVID-19 vaccine after an investigation found stainless steel contaminants in some vials.

Japanese authorities had suspended use of these batches of Moderna shots containing 1.63 million doses last week after being notified of the contamination issue.

Japan’s health ministry said on Wednesday, based on information from the companies’ investigation, that it did not believe the particles of stainless steel pose any additional health risk.

Moderna said the stainless steel contamination probably occurred during production.

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Read this at Reuters Link opens in new window.

SOURCE URL
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/japan-finds-stainless-steel-particles-suspended-doses-moderna-vaccine-2021-09-01/

Japanese Howling ‘Monster Wolf’ Robots

A wolf robot that can roar and flash its eyes red to scare off brown bears entering populated areas has been introduced in this city in Japan’s northernmost prefecture after a steep rise in sightings of the animals in residential parts of the city.

The “monster wolf” developed by a firm in the Hokkaido town of Naie and others was installed by the Takikawa Municipal Government in September in a bid to “avoid friction between residents and bears.” The initiative marks the first time for the mechanical wolf to be deployed in front of general housing, and since its arrival on the scene, there have been no eyewitness reports of bears. An individual connected to its installation said reassuringly, “At the very least it’s effective in making residents feel at ease.”

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Read this at The Mainichi Link opens in new window.

SOURCE URL
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20201105/p2a/00m/0na/018000c