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Unused COVID shots piling up in Japan amid slow rollout

115 Comments
By Rocky Swift

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Beyond incompetent and inefficient this comes close to criminal negligence. The Japanese people should take government to court for this complete dereliction of duty.

shameful for a nation pretending to be the 3rd economy in the world.

weep Japan

81 ( +86 / -5 )

Maybe they can just hand them out and let us do them ourselves.

53 ( +58 / -5 )

Local government employees are really working hard, as are the call center staff so I ask that people refrain from issuing complaints as much as possible," Kono told reporters on Friday.

so now can’t complain either? Just be quiet and wait until winter...? May I ask what year that may be?

Very reassuring Mr Kono, might be time for another meeting and check you got your salary.

55 ( +59 / -4 )

@Maybe they can just hand them out and let us do them ourselves.

Thank you for making me laugh! Seriously! I was literally on the verge of tears :-)

30 ( +33 / -3 )

Absolutely disgraceful

36 ( +39 / -3 )

Maybe they can just hand them out and let us do them ourselves.

A how too app, and some TV spots, that’s a very good idea.

A very good idea, diabetics and their families do it everyday, think you might have solved the bottle neck problem.

28 ( +32 / -4 )

Time to call in Uncle Sam.

9 ( +23 / -14 )

Dear Kono-kun...did you get your shots already? Family? Friends?

23 ( +28 / -5 )

Criminal negligence.

As for handing them out, how about giving them to public health centers, pharmacists or even vets. I mean swab, jab, plunge, bandage, monitor.

This isn’t rocket science.

34 ( +38 / -4 )

Maybe they can just hand them out and let us do them ourselves.

They'll need to create a mascot for that campaign first; although the short lived Fukuppy mascot they designed for another project is ironically already perfectly named for this situation. - I always try to stay optimistic about these things, but it's hard not to be driven down the cynical path. It's not like they had a year head start to plan things out or anything

30 ( +32 / -2 )

inoculating its 36 million elderly people by July.....2024?

22 ( +23 / -1 )

I always thought vaccines would “safe” the situation in Japan, after the disgraceful way we dealt with the pandemic here since day 1, pretending there was no virus, not testing the population, neither the people who were dying.

Now that we have vaccines, not even these are being distributed.

Large companies are keeping an eye on how Japan is doing, and how big of a mess the place is.

The future of investment here will not be bright, unless there is some kind revolution and LDP is all out, one by one, with young generations taking over.

The Olympics might even go ahead, against everyone’s will, but the Japanese economy is doomed.

22 ( +26 / -4 )

Put the people who mobilized forces to get all those plastic dividers onto tables in restaurants in charge. If they can succeed at something so obviously useless, then the vaccine rollout should inspire them.

16 ( +18 / -2 )

my three ideas:

Time to probably put some private sectors to work for the vaccine drive.

as much as the go to campaigns were ill timed, how innovate would it be to have go to vaccine campaign, travel to countryside stay in nice ryokan for three days to recover from any side effects. I would not need a discount and could pay more for for this service if it was available.

another thing is now that vaccines are finally approved and more coming later this month is ask your embassy if they can help vaccinate you. Contract your local politicians office. Maybe if enough people ask they could technically administer the vaccines at the embassy now they are finally approved.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

There’s nothing like an old vaccine to stop complaints...

0 ( +3 / -3 )

What the hell are the Japanese government playing at? I just don’t understand it.

19 ( +20 / -1 )

This is what happens when you put people in charge of things they have no expertise in. The same thing can be seen in schools here as well. You have teachers who can't speak English teaching English or teachers who have no science background teaching science. It's no wonder that the government is messing everything up. They just have no clue.

29 ( +31 / -2 )

Have no fear everyone! Suga has pinkypromised to give a billion shots personally every day.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

In July we will have a few thousand athletes, many of whom are experts with injections, to help with the vaccinations. Come on Konno... think outside the box!

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Look up incompetent in the dictionary and this is what you see. Just vaccinate and get this done. Stupid states of emergency do nothing and your people won’t listen since you don’t follow your own rules. Cut crap and just do the rollout ASAP. Stop procrastinating!

13 ( +16 / -3 )

Yesterday the Prime minister promised 1,000,000 vaccinations a day and then today this story! Surely both stories cannot be correct. And don’t forget 35,000,000 elderly will receive both doses by then end of June, oh sorry it’s end of July now.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

This is a disgrace, criminally negligent.

18 ( +21 / -3 )

So put some vials and syringes in my letter box, if you are too stupid to distribute it otherwise and have not enough staff anyway. I’ll better vaccinate just myself early instead of throwing it all away. It’s uncooled then, so maybe one or two vials over some days will have the same effect. Even the low manipulated numbers are going to explode and you do just nothing. Unbelievable. Do you want to kill us all and enjoy watching suffocating everywhere, like it is already in India and some other places?

6 ( +9 / -3 )

"Local government employees are really working hard, as are the call center staff so I ask that people refrain from issuing complaints as much as possible," Kono told reporters on Friday.

It takes only very basic training to learn how to administer the vaccine. Why is it that these morons won't realize that students, volunteers and others can do the job. Just look at how it is being done successfully in other countries.

18 ( +19 / -1 )

Have no fear Pappa Suga has a plan Japan!

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Kono is the minister of vaccinations. What on earth has he done all these months? Suga at least has the excuse of being PM with more than one file on his desk.

Kono has absolutely no excuse, but still on TV he tries to blame the EU. People's choice for next PM. Scary.

19 ( +20 / -1 )

@Tom

In America you can walk into a pharmacy and get a shot. Just wait 15 minutes after and go home! There was even vaccineation stations in a grocery store!

20 ( +22 / -2 )

@elvis, I think you hit the nail on the head. The Japanese govt has a half-assed attitude towards this vaccine. When Japanese companies come up with one they will be all in. Until that time we’re screwed.

15 ( +17 / -2 )

"Local government employees are really working hard, as are the call center staff so I ask that people refrain from issuing complaints as much as possible," Kono told reporters on Friday.

Old people calling by phone and asking questions. What could go wrong? My mother in law couldn't even get through.

16 ( +18 / -2 )

Japan imported 28 million doses of Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine through late April, but has so far used only 15% of the stockpile, with the remaining 24 million doses sitting in freezers.

Maybe they are thinking of faxing them to us.

18 ( +20 / -2 )

Taro Kono is an incompetent disgrace.

22 ( +25 / -3 )

There will be a lot of wasted vaccine. It does have a 'best-before date'. And in Japan, one serious earthquake, one serious power outage, and goodbye.

17 ( +19 / -2 )

The idea of getting the private sector involved is intriguing. I am confident that my company could get every employee (around 35k) fully vaccinated in a month.

I wonder if the ldp will be held accountable in the next election. In a normal democracy, this level of incompetence would be a death nell for the ruling party. But here in Japan, not so much.

16 ( +18 / -2 )

Can we please have 1 journalist ask these morons a direct question

19 ( +20 / -1 )

Unlike some other similar medical procedures like drawing blood, giving vaccine is something really trivial to do. You basically inject the vaccine in the muscle tissue and basically one 15min video could “train” you how to do it. However, this is Japan so don’t forget the most important procedure- bureaucracy. For sure for each short one should fill out the form, put hanko on it and fax it. Then other person should confirm the received fax, put their hanko and fax it back. Then the person can administer a vaccine.

17 ( +18 / -1 )

What a bunch of losers.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Are they still storing them in residential deep freezers? just hope they dont go bad, like the last batch....

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Taxes paid and services almost rendered.

Maybe the Yakuza can come to the rescue again. They usually experience no logistical hurdles when it comes to distributing “medicines”.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

@Zaroto

"Kono works for Suga"

Agreed. Kono was given this job and has failed completely. Suga should fire Kono and replace him with somebody competent.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Not hard to give a simple injection, just ask diabetics, or people that do their own birth-control injections.

Takes a few seconds. A single person doing one per minute (without stopping for sleep or food) could do the ENTIRE country in 4 years. (126300000/60/60/24/365)

1000 people doing 6 hour shifts can do the whole population in less than a week.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Doctors in private hospitals are being asked to dedicate an extra 2-4 hours of their daily time to vaccinating.

Some may dedicate their lunch breaks and that’s all. Some patients are unable to attend at that limited time.

Time to reexamine some basic truths.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Consider using other than regular medical staff to administer the vaccine . . . younger medical retirees . . . responsible unemployed who are capable of being trained . . . .

4 ( +5 / -1 )

government should be arrested and tried for the damage they have inflicted upon its citizens and economy.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

For goodness sake get on with the vaccine rollout. Far too slow!

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Literally all we need is all those with the skills to administer injections to 'step up' and 'do their duty' for the good of the local community and the country as a whole. It's such an easy sell for the government. It would foster that community spirit, and the idea that in tough times we all band together and help each other with the different skills we have. Doctors, nurses, vets, pharmacists, final grade students of those subjects, big hospitals, small clinics, public health centers, vets, school nurse offices etc. etc. These are all present in all cities, town, and villages around the country.

Instead, we have government bureaucrats, with no specialist knowledge, trying to make a system and then micro manage every little step. Sometimes you just have to let others who know what they are doing sort stuff out. That's not very Japanese, but for goodness sake, get it done.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

younger medical retirees

@Jtsnose - Exactly. There must be hundreds of thousands of retired doctors and nurses under 70 who would be able to administer vaccines. There's literally no excuse for not being able to roll out the millions of vaccines sitting in coolers around the country.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

As the warm weather comes to Japan, and the vaccines go unused, will a pandemic surge come to Japan like it did to India?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Key words in this story are "innoculation reservation system". This is a totally unnecessary step. Drive in clinics, walk in clinics, busses with innoculations- where I work, a bus comes every year to do chest xrays. Do vaccines instead.

Get retired doctors/nurses, veterinarians, medical/nursing students, etc on board. Put up a tent in a parking lot and BOOM, innoculation centre. It should take 30 minutes, not 30 days.

As soon as some dim bulb in the government says "we are setting up a system to....", it is a guarantee of a fiasco.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

This is a CRIME against humanity.

People are dying for lack of vaccines, while Japan is trashing it !!!!

6 ( +11 / -5 )

"Local government employees are really working hard, as are the call center staff so I ask that people refrain from issuing complaints as much as possible," Kono told reporters on Friday.

That is the problem! is that Local Government Employes are running the show.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Philippines is rolling out faster than Japan, and they don't even have the supplies. They used up their supply the moment it arrived.

Japan needs real journalists. They need to ask the right questions.

15 ( +17 / -2 )

In just a few weeks, local governments all across Japan will start having yearly physical checkups for all their employees. Just here where I live, you'd reach literally thousands of people in one go. You'd even have trained personnel on-site to give the vaccines since we always get blood drawn on these occasions. Logistical problems? Cannot really see how there could be any. No, it wouldn't be priority groups first, necessarily. But you'd increase that percentage of vaccinated people in the population as easy as that.

16 ( +16 / -0 )

@ Håkan Henriksson

In just a few weeks, local governments all across Japan will start having yearly physical checkups for all their employees. Just here where I live, you'd reach literally thousands of people in one go. You'd even have trained personnel on-site to give the vaccines since we always get blood drawn on these occasions. 

Very good point!

6 ( +8 / -2 )

I had high hopes for Taro Kono but now looks like he's just another satoimo.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

As long as Kono is the one calling the shots, we won't be getting them any time soon.

You can't pin everything on one person. Kono obviously delivered the vaccines as promised. It's up to each local government to administer them. I would say he should have given a greater share to the large cities though. I do believe they are getting more but obviously not enough. The inaka prefectures with 0 or 1 infections can wait...

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Apparently they are busy wasting resources, time and focus on meaningless and questionable measures and "states of emergency", instead of vaccinating people who are vulnerable to end with most of the risk for once already, and so that they can stop with all the theatrics.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Twinning up and injecting each other could and should be done. ANYONE can insert this needle and push the plunger. Watch a video and do it! Any doctor, any nurse, any diabetic, hell, even a junkie and certainly anyone who has watched a five minute video could do this. Watching for after effects takes skill. Giving the injection itself takes NO SKILL.

Suga et al, WAKE UP! YOUR SHIP IS SINKING!

0 ( +4 / -4 )

where I work, a bus comes every year to do chest xrays. Do vaccines instead.

These mobile clinics are very common and most major companies have contracts with them they also provide influenza vaccination service health checks, etc...

As I previously wrote some time back several of these mobile clinic Companies offered their services to the government and were told they were note needed.

My mother in law works in a elderly care home, the owners have several large care homes and the mobile clinic company they use offered the government to do the vaccination of all the care homes they service and were rejected.

This has become a clown show.

If this was a three Stooges or Monty Python movie, it would be so unbelievably that people would say it was to crazy.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

I haven't spoken to a ton of Japanese about the vaccine, but I've yet to meet one who wasn't at least very leery of taking it. That includes healthcare workers.

As in the US where the amount of administered shots is plunging, I expect the number of those who decline the vaccine to be significant.

Kudos to the Japanese for living their lives and not giving into the panic porn and embarrassing behavior by foreigners seen on JT for over a year.

-17 ( +4 / -21 )

Looking in from the outside this is so bizarre given the usual image of Japan's efficiency. Certainly very damaging for Japan's reputation and that of Mr Kono, both of which are very unfortunate. As other commentators have said there have been months to organize this. Time to turn to the private sector

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I haven't spoken to a ton of Japanese about the vaccine, but I've yet to meet one who wasn't at least very leery of taking it. That includes healthcare workers.

I have spoken to a ton of Japanese about the vaccine. I've yet to meet one who wasn't eager to take it. That includes healthcare workers. I've talked to a ton of them too, maybe more. Loads of doctors too, really good ones.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

I haven't spoken to a ton of Japanese about the vaccine, but I've yet to meet one who wasn't at least very leery of taking it. That includes healthcare workers.

That has to do with the history of vaccination in Japan, specially since Japan has been able to for the most part eradicate or control many illnesses making vaccination not that relevant, and a couple of incidents that basically deleted trust in vaccination a few decades ago.

As in the US where the amount of administered shots is plunging, I expect the number of those who decline the vaccine to be significant.

I see most vulnerable people, and people who really need vaccines actually taking them. Not to mention that even if most people are not that sure about vaccines, I do see a big chunk taking them if the governments tries to push for some sort of "only going back to normal if vaccines" narrative.

Kudos to the Japanese for living their lives and not giving into the panic porn and embarrassing behavior by foreigners seen on JT for over a year.

There are all sorts of people in Japan. The main opposition party, the CDP has focused its politics now on "Zero Covid strategy", calling for more strict restrictive measures, like forced quarantines in hotels at the border for all people, regardless of PCR results of vaccination state for 10 days.

Also, as it is right now, because of a change in the law, SARS-CoV-2 is in a category in par or at times higher than the Plague and Evola, and it isn't even for limited time like before, and unless they change the law once again, border restrictions and restrictions as hospitals will continue endlessly.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Time to deep-six Kono and Suga and the entire LDP.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

I haven't spoken to a ton of Japanese about the vaccine, but I've yet to meet one who wasn't at least very leery of taking it. That includes healthcare workers.

Strange, every member of my wife's family, my children's family ( wife not their mother), all my clients, all my Japanese friends ( most of whom work for Companies that reject telework), basically everyone I know is waiting and wondering when they can get vaccinated.

7 ( +12 / -5 )

Kudos to the Japanese for living their lives and not giving into the panic porn and embarrassing behavior by foreigners seen on JT for over a year.

You really think they have a choice?

Most would work from home not go out but the oyajis in charge of their companies refuse to change.

As I pointed out before a good friend working for KDDI call centre still goes every day to the office when it wouldn't take much to have calls transfered to the staffs homes.

None want to go in, none want to get on the crowded trains but barring quitting they have no choice and most people I know are in the same situation and most are living 3 generations in the same house with their children and elderly parents.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Strange, every member of my wife's family, my children's family ( wife not their mother), all my clients, all my Japanese friends ( most of whom work for Companies that reject telework), basically everyone I know is waiting and wondering when they can get vaccinated.

According to opinion polls, the people are divided about 50/50 between wanting it right now, and just "wait and see" before taking the vaccine.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

This Japanese government could organize their way out of a small paper bag. Let the schoolchildren do it.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Japan is now storing millions of doses. They start vaccinations for million people at large space from late May. Small amount of doses is not good for a few people every time. Million shots are better every time as Japan has 120 million people.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

"Local government employees are really working hard, as are the call center staff so I ask that people refrain from issuing complaints as much as possible," Kono told reporters on Friday.

... gives you an idea of how these people think and how distant their interpretation on the res publica is from our west democracies. Just imagine for a moment if President Biden or PM Johnson said something like that. They are totally unprepared, from an early age, but they can easily do their job in a society, where just about everyone thinks alike and does not find anything wrong in the sentence above. It's very frustrating to us, but we have a choice, I have totally withdrawn from active engagement in Japanese society, I find the place to be good only for holidays, nothing more. If you have enough money to live a 'detached' life, it's the best place in the world, but if you're working or running a business, anywhere else in developed economies and non, is better than here.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

@marcelito

"Kono works for Suga"

Agreed. Kono was given this job and has failed completely. Suga should fire Kono and replace him with somebody competent.

Kono was set up as the fall guy in this job by Suga because the sleepy combover knew full well the rollout would prove to be a red tape disaster and wanted Kono to take the blame and hence eliminate his potential PM rival. 

It's just my hunch, but I agree. I think Kono was set up to fail because the ruling faction want him eliminated from the next leadership contest. I think his near silence has been because he knew from the start that he would not have any real powers to turn this disaster around.

None of which helps us, as we are stuck in this recurring nightmare.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Japan, was one of the first country with COVID-19 cases on Feb 2020 with the Diamond Prince cruiser badly taken cared spreading the virus across the passengers, on 2021 vaccine rolls out got delayed due to ultra-conservative government and people approach to use with new vaccines as the country asked "voluntary best effort" shops/city lock down mostly partially. Once cases are reduces they lift and request for another quarantine as this supposed to buy time for a long solution and "sustainable" approach to leverage new normals for work and health service supply.

Instead of having hospitals to host COVID patients they should used schools or convention centers, stadium with tents inside ... where is the "self defense personnel?? no nurse, no qualified doctors but the government is not using at its best the trained military rather to pay taxes.

Olympic games is on its way with the Government incompetency reflected during the crisis, lack of ability to use science and technology (UVC 222nM under Ushio and Columbia U) that can make a difference rather than spend the money to deliver *Abemasks on 2020 ... sad reality (Japan hosts many novel prize scientists but bad administration of its resources).

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Notice how in even in this article, zero blame are being place on the government.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210505/p2a/00m/0op/016000c

"In addition to a shortage of medical workers such as doctors and nurses who inject vaccines, it is believed that the Japanese people's negative views on the safety of vaccines and their effectiveness compared to people in other countries form one reason. Another suspected factor is that Japan has relied on foreign countries for vaccine supplies."

Japanese government and its de-facto state-owned media continues to place the blame on the Japanese people and "lack of supply"

There is ZERO chance of Japan's vaccine pace would pick up, since Japanese government already believes that they are perfect and is the best in the world. And anyone who dares to say that Japanese government is not doing the best in the world in vaccinations, will be promptly silenced and family punished.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Why not just put the vaccines with the yearly medical exam??

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Kono is okay. Suga is an incompetent dinosaur.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I can just see the next scandal - using expired vaccines.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

I wounder if Japanese people dont want to take the vaccines. They could be leary of the effects.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Think how many lives would have been saved If these shots had been used in Japan or sent somewhere like India.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I wounder if Japanese people dont want to take the vaccines. They could be leary of the effects.

Another person converted by Japanese media propaganda. While the government and the Japanese media, including JapanToday here likes to place blame on the Japanese people, it is the government who refuses to set up logistics system to distribute the vaccines to the people. Even if you want the vaccine, you cannot get it in Japan. I would be shocked if the general population can get the vaccine in Japan before 2023. I think best case scenario is when other countries open up, to fly over and take the vaccine overseas in US, EU, or even Korea etc. I think there is zero hope for the general population to ever receive the vaccines in Japan.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Kyakusenbi_Arimasu

Maybe they can just hand them out and let us do them ourselves.

You have a fridge that keeps the Pfizer concoction at -70 degrees? OK....

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Here in Columbus OH local news 10tv has a story about the local soccer (outside of US, football) team, with a partnership with Columbus Public Health, offering free J&J shots to supporters who come to the home game today. A couple of weeks ago I went by a big church who had a huge line of cars lined up for vaccinations.

I myself got my second Moderna shot yesterday at a local health center that is just 15 minutes walk from where I live.

Perhaps that approach is what is needed to roll out the vaccines in Japan; volunteers, ready availability and incentives. Oh, and instead of telling the Defense Ministry to come up with a plan, also give them a deadline for that plan, and be ready to roll it out fast. Sure, there's lunatics here in the US who say they refuse to get the shot, not for health reasons but because they're listening to conspiracy nuts. But I'll wager there are more sensible people than there are lunatics, here and elsewhere.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The 'farce' in Japan has been noted again abroad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKcoK2qmBak

Fast forward to 19:35.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

I kindly refuse my shot for someone who believe it's helpfull

no vaccin, no mask

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

So sad. Just doing nothing doesn’t work in a dire situation when it affects peoples’ lives. How do they sleep at night? Time is upon 98.8% of us!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Unbelievable. I hope after one or two years all of this will be a distant memory.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I got out of Japan just in time to avoid further ineptitude-I’ll be fully vaccinated in a month and will return to Japan without drama

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

I think Kono was set up to fail because the ruling faction want him eliminated from the next leadership contest. I think his near silence has been because he knew from the start that he would not have any real powers to turn this disaster around.

If Suga was interested in saving lives instead of playing politics, he would have drafted a logistics guy from Toyota. Keidanren really needs to find a way to get someone like Masayoshi Son to be the next prime minister because the current group of 80 year olds will destroy the country.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

New Zealand has the same problem, why ????

Our population is 5 million.

To much Bureaucracy, too many chiefs making conflicting decisions.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Good on Japan. These inoculations are simply worthless - especially when expired.

So if you have had one, then you will need to, for the rest of your life take the same/similar one every year, from the same manufacturer, in order to suppress the virus that has been injected into your body from actually mutating into something even worse - that is the premise that's currently being mused within the Scientific Community.

If anything, I'd start investing in those same Manufacturers, so that you can sell some stock and pay for your next years vaccination.

So for now, Japan is doing great - except for the Olympics thing - which is really... "bad" - they should really cancel it, and close all international borders for personal travel.

Its perhaps time to protect the "Native" Japanese ?

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Good on Japan. These inoculations are simply worthless - especially when expired.

You believing something that can be proved wrong has no importance, vaccines have been already proved to be safe and effective in controlling the infection, and none are expired.

So if you have had one, then you will need to, for the rest of your life take the same/similar one every year, from the same manufacturer, in order to suppress the virus that has been injected into your body from actually mutating into something even worse - that is the premise that's currently being mused within the Scientific Community.

No, that is just an imaginary situation being pushed by antivaxxers, the real situation is that at this point there is no scientific evidence that a booster may be absolutely necessary, much less every year or from a single manufactured.

Japan is not doing great, it is constantly on the brick of widespread transmission with countless unnecessary deaths, betting those lives will not be lost even if they keep their fossilized methods. This is not a sure bet at all.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

For the first time during this pandemic, I believe that it is safer to live back in Europe rather than Japan.

The amazing achievement by the people here (not the government) has got us this far, but fatigue has set in. Combined with the incredibly slow vaccine rollout and the new variants, we could be heading for big trouble.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Those that want the vax, should feel free to take it. But I remain opposed to a vax still in the experimental stage being forced on people.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

“Japan is not doing great, it is constantly on the brick of widespread transmission with countless unnecessary deaths”.

Yep, the suicide rate is up. People who would not have taken their lives if not for “lockdowns”.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Those that want the vax, should feel free to take it. But I remain opposed to a vax still in the experimental stage being forced on people.

The vaccines are not longer experimental, they are being used to prevent disease, that is just a strawman representation from antivaxxer groups, that is also the fake "forced" argument, vaccines can very likely replace at least some of the social distancing measures necessary, anybody is completely free to choose if they want to keep the social distancing measures or not.

Yep, the suicide rate is up. People who would not have taken their lives if not for “lockdowns”.

That is a wrong argument coming from magical thinking. Without anti-pandemic measures the situation with the infections would not be the same, so public health, social and economic degradation would also be present and even more important. To say this terrible situation would not increase suicide rates (not to count all other deaths directly and indirectly related to COVID) you need scientific evidence, do you have it?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Personally I won’t be having the vaccine at present but I find this bizarre. Plenty of people it can be helpful to, the obese, the elderly and those with chronic health conditions. Surely they knew in advance of the need to find a way to administer the vaccine in a fast and effective manner. This is not the 80’s anymore, the world changes fast, decisions have to be made quickly. Many people are relying on these vaccines to feel at ease and safe from Covid yet they are being let down.

stop the endless meetings that go on for weeks and implement a programme now, other countries did it, why not here?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Calls or complaints or complaints should go to the politicians office, or city hall general line, not the reservation line.

That is best way to get through instead of getting in a way for someone actually trying to get a reservation.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think countries from high resources should vaccinate their own athletes prior to attending the Olympics. Their countries should do that so they can enter Japan with ease. This is a pandemic! They should also try to help themselves get vaccinated at this special time from their country.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Live by the hanko, die by the hanko. With the belligerent instance that olympics goes ahead, the attention around this complete debacle will only intensify.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Freshwind

Unbelievable. I hope after one or two years all of this will be a distant memory.

Seeing that politicians all over the world take this as a chance to introduce ever more authoritarian countrol, alas I would not be so sure. It seems for them it is the gift that keeps giving.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

So what happened to the 1 million vaccines a day statement?

Might as well give away the vaccine at Convenience stores and we can jab ourselves, it is not as difficult as they make it out to be....

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I and my wife got the virus that arrived before the vaccine, so, please, we expect that the sense of urgency be spread among all to start the vaccination ASAP, As Soon As Possible. Hayaku! Hurry up!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

They are piling up because so many people, wisely, don't want the experimental American vaccines which the corporations won't release any updated info on the efficacy of them. We only know the Pfizer vaccine went from an empirical 95% to "about" 90% according to the CEO.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

kurisupisu:

I got out of Japan just in time to avoid further ineptitude-I’ll be fully vaccinated in a month and will return to Japan without drama

Are residents of Japan entitled to free NHS treatment?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

What is the underlying issue as to why Japan doesn’t want to use the received boxes of vaccines that are just sitting their piling up dust? Even a high school kid could work out a way in a class project to get the job done. Does it have something to do with finding a way out from hosting the Olympics or some other political reason? Dumbfounded.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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