Japan Mobilizes Military Doctors to Accelerate Vaccination Rollout Ahead of Olympics

The Japanese government is making a final push to vaccinate its elderly population before the Olympics in July, with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga deploying military doctors and nurses to administer shots in Tokyo and Osaka. Despite skeptical experts, Suga remains determined to hold the Olympics, despite growing public concern about safety. The government has expanded virus-fighting measures and made vaccinations a priority, but it may be a tall order to achieve the goal of vaccinating 36 million people by the end of July.

Key Takeaways:

• The Japanese government is mobilizing military doctors and nurses to administer vaccines to the elderly population in Tokyo and Osaka, aiming to inoculate up to 10,000 people per day in Tokyo and 5,000 per day in Osaka for the next three months.
• The government has made vaccinations a priority, with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga stating that accelerating the vaccine rollout is an "unprecedented challenge" and pledging to do "whatever it takes" to accomplish the project.
• Only about 2% of Japan's 126 million population has received the required two doses of vaccine, and the government has expanded virus-fighting measures, including a largely voluntary request-based virus state of emergency.
• The government has approved foreign-developed vaccines, including Moderna and AstraZeneca, in addition to Pfizer, in an effort to speed up inoculations.
• The completion of Japanese-developed vaccines is still uncertain, but government officials hope that the approvals will accelerate inoculations.
• Suga's government has allowed dentists and retired nurses to perform inoculations, and is also considering adding paramedics and clinical laboratory technicians to create a pool of "several tens of thousands" of medical personnel.
• There are worries that loosening the criteria for who can administer vaccines may increase vaccine hesitancy in the public.
• Local governments, such as Tokyo's downtown Sumida district, are opening large vaccination centers in an effort to attract elderly people and speed up the rollout.

Statistics:

• 2% of Japan's 126 million population has received the required two doses of vaccine.
• 10,000 people per day are expected to be inoculated in Tokyo, and 5,000 per day in Osaka, for the next three months.
• 36 million people need to be vaccinated by the end of July.
• Only about 1 million people have been vaccinated in Japan to date.
• 40% of the population is currently under a virus state of emergency.
• 80-90% vaccination rate is considered necessary to hold the Olympics smoothly, but it seems impossible to meet the goal of vaccinating the entire elderly population by the end of July.

Sources:

• Associated Press, "Japan mobilizes military doctors to accelerate vaccination rollout ahead of Olympics"
• Muni Yamasaki, "Japan's vaccination drive picks up pace ahead of Olympics"
• Kantaro Komiya and Chisato Tanaka, "Japan asks pharmacists to help with vaccine rollout as shortages worsen"