The first batch of Pfizer Inc's Covid-19 vaccine arrived in Japan, local media reported, with official approval for the shots expected within days as the country races to control a third wave of infections ahead of the Olympic Games.

A government health panel is due to deliberate on the vaccine later on Friday, when it is expected to green-light the shots for formal approval. Kyodo News reported that approval would come on Sunday.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said vaccinations would begin from the middle of next week, starting with health workers, and the government hopes to have secured enough supplies for the whole populace by mid-year.

A Japanese health ministry official said he could not confirm the reports of the vaccine's arrival due to security reasons, according to Reuters.