Japan health minister says Okinawa vaccine contaminants likely from needle stick

FILE PHOTO: Japan's Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Norihisa Tamura attends a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, September 16, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's health minister said on Tuesday it was highly likely that foreign matter found in Moderna Inc COVID-19 vaccines in the southern prefecture of Okinawa were caused when needles were stuck into the vials.

Some Moderna shots were temporarily halted in Okinawa on Sunday after foreign materials were discovered in vials and syringes. The health ministry said later needles may have been incorrectly inserted into vials, breaking off bits of the rubber stopper.