The Japanese government is in talks with Moderna Inc. and Novavax Inc. to receive 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to be administered next year, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Friday.

The government hopes to ramp up the country's vaccine rollout to 1 million shots per day, roughly triple the current pace, and begin inoculating people with underlying conditions next month, Suga told a press conference after deciding to extend the state of emergency covering Tokyo and other parts of the country.

Suga said he is aware of concerns among the public about staging this summer's Tokyo Olympics despite the continuing spread of infections, reiterating his pledge to take measures to ensure the games are "safe and secure."

==Kyodo

© Kyodo News International, Inc., source Newswire