A revision of Japan's Preventive Vaccination Law is expected to substantially increase the number of people who are vaccinated against the flu this year. The measure, which is currently under consideration in the Diet, would require local governments to subsidize flu shots for the elderly. The panel was told that if the bill was not approved, the minimum demand for flu vaccines would be 7.2 million doses, although waiving the fee for the elderly would increase that number to about 9.9 million. That figure includes about 4.5 million elderly Japanese residents and is up substantially from the estimated 6.3 million flu doses used last winter, health officials said.