Takeda Pharmaceuticals, which distributes the vaccine in Japan for Moderna, said it notified the ministry after several vaccination sites reported an unspecified foreign object found in one specific lot. "We requested that Moderna, the product owner and manufacturer, conduct a thorough investigation to determine the precise root cause of the issue," Takeda said in a statement. Takeda also said that it is not aware of any "significant safety concerns" stemming from the contaminated doses.