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Suga asks Pfizer CEO to bring forward COVID-19 delivery amid shortage

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It beats me why this kind of headline goes out. Who cares what the Japanese government is considering. Action is what is needed.

23 ( +27 / -4 )

Could you guys “Speed it up!?! “ …

… cause WE didn’t.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Even the word “considers” indicates even further delays. -

“Japan considers asking Pfizer to speed up COVID-19 vaccine delivery” -

2 ( +10 / -8 )

Or you could do one shot Astra, one shot Pfizer, which is safe and highly effective, instead of fobbing them off to poor countries as unwanted goods under the guise of charity and goodwill.

6 ( +14 / -8 )

I know people than can’t reserve their second shot because there is already a “shortage”. The municipalities web site is outright blaming it on the central government. Yet they are only now “considering” to increase supply or pull in orders. Japan has made my inefficient home country look highly efficient.

13 ( +17 / -4 )

FYI: Actually doing something will be more useful to us than to "consider" to do something.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Be thankful that things are slow. You will find out in the near future.

-21 ( +3 / -24 )

Are the 35 counted amongst the 23?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Why is this even in the news. Just ask !!

8 ( +10 / -2 )

did they even get the 100M to be delivered before June? That many doses should be “visible” somehow. But all the people I know of have only received moderna, not pfizer, shots.

How come they are already running out of vaccines with such a huge provision?

10 ( +10 / -0 )

"Considers"? I imagine the cabinet all doing janken...

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

There's that word again - "considering". Does the Japanese government ever just grab the bull by its horns and just do??

5 ( +8 / -3 )

I am now, finally, able to apply. First time I logged on, of the seventeen vaccination centers in my vicinity alone, there was not a single slot free in any of them.

Yesterday I saw that one opening was available, but it disappeared before I even got to the “make a reservation here” button.

Probably have as much luck doing the rounds of the local clinics.

I can wait - telework - but all the same, this is a pretty shocking performance.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

I hope they will stop wasting our money soon. Just kidding, of cour they’ll go on.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

They asked pfizer to speed up just to be stuck bottleneck somewhere in Japan

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/09/national/vaccination-drive-hits-logistic-bottlenecks-ahead-of-olympics/

6 ( +7 / -1 )

What happened to the 400 million vaccines that Abe/Suga boasted that they had received?

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Why, so they can more quickly give them to other countries? So Kono can brag about Japan being No.1 in vaccination rates again while you can't make any reservations due to a shortage?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

"Considering to ask"... Why not just ask?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Luckily I got my second shot yesterday, but the two where I live is stopping taking reservations from next week because of a shortage of Pfizer shots.

Madness.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Japan considers asking Pfizer

It is very popular here to think about something for a long time, consider things, discuss it and generally waste time, when much less time and more productivity could have been devoted to it. And why don't they just ask instead of considering it? Or should they not ask at all? It's either one or the other. I don't understand why it always has to be something in between.

By the way, when Pfizer speeds up the delivery of vaccines, will there again be problems like a disconnected refrigerator, lack of XYZ at the ABCD site, or will we again be donating vaccines to someone with them sitting unused for a long time?

5 ( +8 / -3 )

The J-gov only has three words in it's vocabulary. Consider, urge, pledge.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

""The government is reluctant to call for more supply than already agreed upon, as many poorer countries are much further behind in their vaccination efforts.""

Yes Japan should be concerned especially after trashing 10 million doses due to out of shelf life.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

ahh the proverbial 検討(kentou) "considering".

They sure love that word here. Too much thinking and worrying doesn't get you anywhere.

"Too many mind" - The Last Samurai

0 ( +2 / -2 )

ahh the proverbial 検討(kentou) "considering".

They sure love that word here. 

It's also a homophone of 見当, as in 見当がつかない, "not having the faintest idea".

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Consider ??? Is this some kind of joke ?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

What a strange request. It takes some specific time in the production process to genetically multiply , or simply let’s say grow, those mRNA components, besides other restrictions and hurdles. You can’t and won’t give such biological and organic material any political orders. It won’t either listen nor follow. lol

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

@zichi

Got my original appointment cancelled by my ward because they couldn't guarantee they would have vaccine for my second dose.

Our ward has no centralised waiting list if there are cancellations.

So I called each vaccination location in our ward one by one and managed to get on a few waiting lists, because I work for myself I said I was available at any time even and could be at these locations within 30 minutes if needed.

I got very lucky, someone cancelled at one location and I got the call.

Got my first dose of Moderna on the 16th and get the second dose on the 15th of August the date the person who cancelled was scheduled for.

The irony is my cancelled appointment for my first dose (Pfizer) wasn't until the 29th of July

It took a lot of phone calls and a lot of rejections but it worked.

No idea if your location has a centralised waiting list or if you have to do like I did, but if you haven't already tried perhaps you could do like we did.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Good !!.. Pfizer's is the best vaccine !!.

There is very little difference between Pfizer and Moderna so much so that most recent studies show that they can easily be swapped giving one as the first dose and the other as a the second dose.

In fact Moderna vaccine seems slightly more effective, that other studies are showing that one can get 1/2 dose the first time and 1/4 dose on the second shot and achieve the same protection as 2 full doses.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

This 'government' is an absolute joke

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I guess I'm lucky to be living in a relatively well-organized municipality. Not only wasn't my 2nd vax cancelled when the recent shortage hit the fan (looking forward to receiving it next Saturday), but they recently sent out tickets for the 50-59 age group, and began taking those reservations on Monday. So, they seem to have a handle on supply.

Of course, this should have all been done many months ago.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Michael O’ Dereiter

Yes I noticed that,

I was just trying to help by pointing out what I had to do but it seems some don't like reality.

We tried the same thing for my son but that failed.

None of the vaccine centres will put him on their waiting list because they say he is young and they prefer to put older people at higher risk.

I understand that but my son has chronic health issues that have already lead to 3 abdominal surgeries. So we are still trying his surgeon provided a medical letter asking that he be prioritised if possible.

So Monday we will hit the phones again.

It shouldn't be this complicated or difficult.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The government is reluctant to call for more supply than already agreed upon, as many poorer countries are much further behind in their vaccination efforts.

Good spin, hoarding the vaccine is giving consideration to poorer countries that are behind. If they really cared about poorer countries the 70M doses of Astra zeneca being produced in Hyogo pref would have been donated or sold cheap to those countries instead of stockpiling the vaccines when they are never going to use them, eventually they will be looking for takers when nobody needs them and will go wasted.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@garypen

They only recently sent out 50~59?

Our ward has sent out to all eligible including 18 up.

The reservation system was doing 30 up but now nothing as all vaccinations are halted due to the shortages.

On the paper work that came with the vouchers 18 and up should have started about a week ago but that didn't happen because of shortages.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

thelonius

Or you could do one shot Astra, one shot Pfizer, which is safe and highly effective, instead of fobbing them off to poor countries as unwanted goods under the guise of charity and goodwill.

Both the Pfizer and AZ require two shots to be fully effective. One shot provides very little protection.

In fact, there are some experts who feel the early UK policy of getting everyone jabbed with one when supplies were low, rather than getting fewer people jabbed properly with the two, is perhaps to blame for the virus' resurgence there. Partial immunity can lead to mutations as the virus has an opportunity to adapt.

The only true one-shot vaccine right now is J&J. It is roughly the same level of immunity as the AZ, around 70%, but is extremely effective at preventing serious illness, which is pretty important. It basically turns a deadly or life-altering disease into a bad cold, which is till pretty helpful. But, the Japanese people look at that 70% number of the AZ and J&J, and choose Pfizer or Moderna. That's why the govt gave away all that AZ.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The Japanese government is considering asking Pfizer Inc to speed up its delivery of COVID-19

or

get competent people to distribute vaccines correctly so they don’t ruin entire cases of the stuff.

We all heard the stories about improper storage, lack of freezers, straight ignorance, etc etc.

Next time stop throwing out perfectly Good supply.

and definitely stop donating millions of doses to other countries, fools…..

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This is a political move to shift blame of slow vaccine roll out to Pfizer. Japan still have tens of million of doses sitting in its storage. Shipments from Pfizer and Moderna is not the issue at all.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga met with Pfizer Inc. CEO Albert Bourla in Tokyo on Friday

and what a coincidence that this albert chap is in Tokyo on the same day the olympics opening ceremony is being held, guess he got a free pass too............................another snout in the trough while the peasants are not even allowed to have a drink after 8pm in their favorite local establishment......................more insult to the locals.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

When he made his request I hope he used the magic word...yen

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Be thankful that things are slow. You will find out in the near future.

Oh wow, a time traveller! Can you give me next week's lottery numbers.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Too little too late.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Pfizer vaccine, initial inoculation, offers at least 60% protection & first dose does immunize against the delta variant. Moderna 80% after just one dose. That is hardly very little protection. From the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA.

There were 50 million doses of Moderna vaccine, in storage, in Kyoto, two months ago. This according to a Japanese physician and member of the Moderna board of directors.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Some die, yes - that goes without question - others do not.

@mmwkdw How can you ever know or say that? Are you sure you can stand every of the infection waves to come? It’s getting more and more harder for your body and the immune system to withstand , because you grow into vulnerable age groups, may have LongCovid still not knowing, diverse organs may be plastered with virus colonies, still manageable but for how many months or years? What if other diseases occur, cancer etc, but your body is everyday busy with fighting against COVID only, and so on. The list is endless, but I am not here to spread fears, I would be happy if only a first smallest thinking process is initiated. Keep going and take care.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@Sven Asal - yes, please review the Medical journals about how such Antibodies deteriorate.

I would not be surprised to read soon, that this leaves the recipient in a state of needing a continuous lifelong booster shot - not only to be immune from future infections, but from the infection injected into oneself...

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

It looks like it's going to be a rough fall / winter in Japan. Mask up, everybody!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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