Japan will start administering the COVID-19 vaccine next week, with medical experts at the pandemic's frontlines the first recipients.

"We will make every effort to prepare for everything,"  Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at a meeting of ruling party officials Wednesday where he confirmed the timing of the first inoculations.

He called for cooperation by doctors, nurses and local municipalities to smoothly carry out the massive inoculations.

A health ministry team of experts is expected to give its first approval for a COVID-19 vaccine ( one developed by Pfizer Inc) within days.

Japan has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AstraZeneca of Britain and Moderna Inc. of the United States to provide a total of more than 310 million vaccine doses, or ample to cover the country's entire population, this year. Pfizer is to provide 144 million of them.

Japanese officials have raised concerns about supply uncertainties of vaccines coming from Europe. Vaccines are considered key to holding the postponed Tokyo Olympics this summer.

Vaccines are considered significant to holding the postponed Tokyo Olympics this summer.

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