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Japan considers sending coronavirus vaccines to Vietnam: report

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Sure, send Vietnam whatever vaccines they need, but please demand that their government ask their people residing in Japan to stop stealing fruit from orchards and pigs from farms and whatever they can get their hands on.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

-'boundless charity'? I'd like to think so, but I really doubt it.

Jgov: Well, we aren't using the AZ, so you could have some. Remind us again of your position on whaling, Huawei and Chinese investment...

After the initial 'shock and awe' governments are now exploiting Covid as much as they can.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Um, could they send some vaccines up here to Fukushima? I really would like to get a shot before 2022...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Same as tax money -- give it to anyone else except your own citizens. Well done, Japan.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Perhaps in return Vietnam could give Japan some advice on how do deal with coronavirus.

We often read how well Japan has done in comparison with the West. We rarely read about howmuch better Vietnam has handled the situation.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

They do it for their National Interest, not their nationals' interest. Politics.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

On the same day they binned 7000 doses which could have gone to good use here. Get your own house in order first for gawd sake.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Take care of your own population first, ffs

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Even the queen(Taiwanese-Japanese) at the opposition party which always criticizes gov in the same way you guys do here, is appreciating what J-gov has done for Taiwan. Lol

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Taiwanese people are not such stupid. They reviewed and approved AZ in March. Japan didn't for public vaccination roll-out. Why not help good neighbors rather than waste those. So difficult to understand some posters' temper tantrum.  Look at reactions from Taiwan that say all.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Lol government is trolling us everywhere and everyday it’s a wake up call by now.... still rofling here

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Jgov really thinks the world is so dumb. They are going on about surplus vaccines, as if to justify the donations. The fact is those AZ vaccines are rejects. The Japanese will not use them. So let's pretend we care about our friends whilst the underlying intention is to rid of these.

Further, securing surplus vaccines and having surplus vaccines is not the same. Japan does not have a surplus now. They only secured vaccines for it to be delivered in the future. This type of propaganda by jgov is on par, if not, worse than CCP and NK.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

In exchange for what ?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I’m not sure I agree with that. You are basically saying that the government is justified in giving away the vaccines because through its own incompetence that same government hasn’t been able to use them, even though by any reasonable standard it should have under these circumstances.

What is then the alternative? travel to the past and make Japan secure less doses or use them more? The whole point is that the Japanese government got more than enough doses for the whole population and is not going to use a lot of them before the expiration date. So at this moment is either use them overseas or letting them go bad without benefiting anyone. This is not a justification of the government's strategy but a way to remediate at least one of the problems it caused with its lack of preparation.

It is also important that Japan benefits from Vietnam controlling the pandemic, the efforts of the COVAX initiative is based on this principle, global control benefits not only poor countries but also the developed world that depend on those countries still struggling.

This will try to help Suga pull a snap election after the Olympics.

This of course assuming the Japanese population, exasperated for the lack of vaccination thinks positively about giving away vaccines, this is not likely.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

There is several ways this can be viewed:

1 The governments slow and incompetent role-out means that the vaccine will spoil or go bad by the time people are actually vaccinated.

2 Japan needs the PR stunt because of Suga's current failures and Abe's failure to deal with pandemic. Not to mention, the world finally knows about Japan's leadership deficits because of Ghosn and the Olympics fiasco.

This will try to help Suga pull a snap election after the Olympics.

China has been trying the same soft-power/PR stunt since this pandemic started. They have been giving away their ineffective vaccine, and now, they will produce Sputnik, too!

China's COVID-19 vaccines don't appear to be effective at preventing outbreaks in the real world

https://www.yahoo.com/news/chinas-covid-19-vaccines-dont-123035757.html

Where is Koike hiding this time?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Any resident of Japan that can hack the quarantine should make a trip to Vietnam-priceless!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

AstraZ is in case. If Moderna and Pfizer are all gone, then they use AstraZ. Japan is now producing AstraZ vaccines in Japan. Some of them have gone to Taiwan the other day.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Japan wants to to refurbish the AstranaZeneca vaccine. There is more risk than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, specially for the younger ones.

I am quite sure that Japan already decided, unofficially, not to use Astrana. I am fine with that

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Japan secured too enough vaccine doses. If it keeps them all, it is going to dump/waste most of them later. It seems Japan is storing vaccines as political tool from the beginning. It now secured 400 million doses. It now started to send them to favorable countries need vaccines.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Taiwan is a very important trading neigbor while Vietnam has a large amount of Japanese companies and if the Covid become too sever, it will once again hit the supply chain and make Japan suffer more. Vaccine has to be send in order to minimize the damage.

That sounds par for the course. If the Japanese government has had a sudden attack of altruism, then do vaccine donation through the Covax programme. But as the poster above said, this is just self-interested vaccine politics, and lines up completely with its Olympics policy. It's all about the look from the outside, and stuff us peasants. And while they are at international relations, they could make a request to Vietnam and Taiwan to send medical staff, to help Japan improve its roll out here. Yes, Japan, you can learn from others.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Like when you stop first to let someone past, only for them to stop to let you pass, wasting time and energy?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I gave you the vaccine. Now shut up and turn up to the Olympics. Meanwhile, none of the Japanese will get the AZ vaccine.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

according to worldometer

Population

Japan : 126 million

Vietnam : 98 million

New cases in the last 7 days

Japan : 20731

Vietnam : 1717

Death in the last 7 days

Japan : 650

Vietnam : 4

Japan had opportunity and necessity to learn from Vietnam about how prevent infection spreading without vaccination but Japan has learned nothing.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

The Japanese way is to put others before you. Dozo, dozo, you first. Put others first and you be last. This is the humble way.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

AstraZeneca????

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Japan is very slow about inoculation for people, no shortage of vaccines but shortage of medical staffs (injectors), so just wait for your turn. Vaccines can't be kept for for a long time. Expiration is coming soon or later. It seems to me Japan sends extra vaccines where countries badly need now before wasting them later.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

can Japan focus on itself first. I wonder if the local people have been asked if they agree.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Japan is just freaking stupid.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

I'll upvote that, Japanoob, mostly because yeah, the whole narrative of "we all need to come together" to handle a global pandemic is true, but it seems the very folks who've been using it like a bludgeon on those of us questioning aspects of the proper solution are now the ones selfishly saying "give ME the shot!"

1 ( +2 / -1 )

They should focus on Japan first. This, however, is called vaccine politics. Japan reportedly is also sending a ton to Taiwan as well. They are trying to win the heart and favor of other countries in case they are needed in a scuffle with China. China is doing the same as well though there aren't many takers as of yet.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

This is justified and necessary, Japan is not struggling because of lack of vaccines, but because bureaucracy and lack of common sense limit artificially the number of places and people that can deliver the vaccine.

I’m not sure I agree with that. You are basically saying that the government is justified in giving away the vaccines because through its own incompetence that same government hasn’t been able to use them, even though by any reasonable standard it should have under these circumstances.

I agree that it probably makes more sense at this point to just be giving them away to other, apparently more competent, governments, so they don’t go to waste, but I don’t think the government is at all justified in doing so.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Not surprised at all. Outside image is far more important. Reminds me of one rhi neighbor who gives food to neighbors and friends yet his children are without food,

4 ( +9 / -5 )

I think I get this; Japan's vaccine policy is ran by their economists. So that means Japan must match what large economic powers are doing, even if it is detrimental to self interests. Gotcha ;)

That would be false and your conclusion completely forced, Japan is sitting on millions of vaccines doses, so there is nothing detrimental on giving them away, they are not going to be used any time soon anyway.

If Japan was sending a thousand doctors and nurses to deliver the doses then it would have a negative effect, because the retrograde system make them much more necessary than they should, but since nobody is going to Vietnam then the criticism is invalid.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

The delay in vaccination in Japan is due to the unprepared and shorthanded human/medical resources together with the usual bureaucratic snail speed approvals, not with vaccine supplies. So giving away vaccines to other friendly Asian nations isn't a problem.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

I think I get this; Japan's vaccine policy is ran by their economists. So that means Japan must match what large economic powers are doing, even if it is detrimental to self interests. Gotcha ;)

6 ( +8 / -2 )

This will be unpopular but whatever....

As much as residents of Japan such as my self want (need!) a vaccine others do to.

Remember all the talk of 'the world coming together to fight this' about 18 months ago?'. Well then never really happened. So I, for one, as desperate as I am for a vaccination to get on with my life don't mind reading about one country helping another on occasion and on a limited basis. Me or an elderly person abroad (assuming doses will be distributed to the elderly/vulnerable first)? I'll choose the elderly Vietnamese (or Taiwanese) person occasionally.

So yeah prioritize Japanese citizens but help each other out on occasion and on a limited basis. Especially when we're talking about a vaccine that is is just sitting in storage atm as it hasn't been approved for use in Japan (though yeah it should have been by now but that's another story....).

The whole COVAX system should have kicked in long before now. Japan is doing this unilaterally which is a step in the right direction because we (the world) are all in this mess together and need each other's support to get of it.

p.s. did I mention '*on occasion and on a limited basis**' *sufficiently to get that point across?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

While I think 70% of Japanese should be vaccinated fully before donating vaccines, this is a smart "soft power" move by Japan. Vietnam is a booming, friendly, freedom-loving nation who is firmly on the Japan side of the fence, not China's. They will hopefully be joining QUAD in the next 5-10 years to stand up against China.

This decision is a way of further cementing the close relationship between Japan and Vietnam. When the boxes of vaccines arrive within weeks, the "from Japan" written on them will be a powerful and friendly image.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

If the doses are going to be sitting in fridges then it is better for them to be used elsewhere.

How about re-allocating the staff, facilities and logistics services to be used for the Taiwan and Vietnamese projects to the job of getting the vaccines out of the fridges and into our arms?

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Just ti remind most are still confuse, Japan has a surplus of vaccine and it also had been producing the vaccine none-stop in the nation. AstraZeneca is not only made in Europe. In japan the JCR made millions of them. We have our own vaccine factories and made deals with the companies who invented these different type of vaccine to be made in our own nation.

Currently the vaccine roll out is happening in Japan. So just be patient already and you will eventually get a shot. japan has enough vaccine. Just a little slow with the vaccination program and lack of manpower. Stop getting agitated every time Japan want to give some vaccine to other nations who are also desperaretly battling the covid. Taiwan is a very important trading neigbor while Vietnam has a large amount of Japanese companies and if the covid become too sever, it will once again hit the supply chain and make Japan suffer more. Vaccine has to be send in order to minimize the damage.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Why, when those doses are needed here, too? Surplus?

Japan bought millions of AZ doses, but now that it has a bad rep for possible side effects, the J-gov doesn't want to risk giving it to Japanese people.

But in their mind, its good enough for those foreigners I suppose.

If so, then where is mine.

Well @klausdorth, if you are a gaijin, then this may end up being what you get!

10 ( +14 / -4 )

This is justified and necessary, Japan is not struggling because of lack of vaccines, but because bureaucracy and lack of common sense limit artificially the number of places and people that can deliver the vaccine.

If the doses are going to be sitting in fridges then it is better for them to be used elsewhere. After all the most efficient way to end the pandemic is to control it everywhere as soon as possible, not just your own country.

8 ( +18 / -10 )

I'm having trouble reconciling Japan's boundless charity to other countries, while only around 3% of the population is fully vaccinated and there is still no specific timetable to inoculate the general population. When do we get it? Next year? Will unvaccinated people die from now and then as a result of the long delay? The answer would have be yes.

I guess Japan's global image and foreign policy objectives are more important than the health. including the life-or-death, of the local population. What else are we supposed to think?

10 ( +14 / -4 )

Hello? You’re giving away vaccines and yet about 95% of the country haven’t had one yet? Priorities?

14 ( +20 / -6 )

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