The ministry said in a release that both men, who were in their 30s, died this month within a few days of receiving the second dose of Moderna vaccine.
Two people died in Japan after they received the Covid-19 vaccine shots of the Moderna vaccine that were among the slots that were found contaminated after which they were suspended, said the Health Ministry of Japan on Saturday.
The ministry said in a release that both men, who were in their 30s, died this month within a few days of receiving the second dose of Moderna vaccine. According to Reuters, both received a shot from one of the three manufacturing lots that were suspended on August 26. Reportedly, the cause of their deaths is still being investigated.
Earlier, a domestic distributor, Takeda Pharmaceutical, had received reports of contaminants in some vials of the Moderna vaccine. More than a week later, the Japanese government suspended the use of 1.63 million doses of Moderna across the country.
A Japanese public broadcaster NHK citing sources from the Health Ministry, reported that the contaminant is believed to be metallic particles. However, the government and Moderna had said that no safety or efficacy issues had been identified. They added that the suspension was only a precaution.
The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now.