Several news outlets and social media accounts have falsely claimed that ivermectin has been approved to treat COVID-19 in Japan. One video that has been viewed more than 80,000 times claims to show the chair of the Tokyo Medical Association recommending ivermectin for all COVID-19 patients. In the video, he discusses ivermectin’s apparent benefits and suggests the off-label prescription of the drug. He also acknowledges that more study of the drug is necessary. The chair and his organization are not part of Japan’s Health Ministry, which oversees drug approvals and provides official health guidance. Ivermectin is not among the drugs approved for use against COVID-19 in Japan and neither the Tokyo government nor the Japanese Health Ministry recommends the drug to treat COVID-19. The video has also been widely shared in North America without this context.
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