Japan may provide AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan

How about vaccination for the Japanese people first?

What?! Hardly anybody has received a vaccine in Japan yet they will start sharing with other countries. Ludicrous

How about giving it to people here in Japan. My MIL would like it, as would my husband.

They are going to give away vaccines just like they did ventilators. And then they will say there is a shortage while standing there amongst their "panel" picking their butts and scratching each others heads trying to figure out why.

That’s great please give Taiwan Astra Zeneca vaccine. But the Japanese government has to authorize pharmacists giving the vaccine out as well as anyone with specialized medical background. Get everyone vaccinated already.

Good idea! The AstraZeneca vaccine is considered too dangerous for Japanese people, so just let people in Taiwan use it.

In fact, complication and deaths are rare, and Japanese authorities should assist Taiwan, since they can't figure out how to set up distribution channels here and lack the leadership to persuade the Japanese public to quickly get vaccinate, even if this were possible.

Amazing Japan!

The comedy never stops...

I wish they would just let us choose if we want to get AZ vaccine or not. Tell us the real risks of getting the blood clots, then let us make an informed decision like adults.

Why are they not using it and shipping to another country, where people like myself would gladly take it here now!? So frustrating.

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Beijing's attempt to promote dubious Chinese vaccines to Taiwan will fail. Taiwanese are not their guinea pigs.

How about vaccination for the Japanese people first?

There will be more than sufficient amount of vaccines available for all Japanese residents. Vaccines have lifetime or expiry dates, so it's reasonable to give them out in time rather than throw them away.

Maybe Japan wants to see if there is a blood clot issue before using Astra Zeneca in Japan.

You just can’t give away the stuff fast enough. Over Surplus of these vaccines is appearing all over the developed nations, and is a shortage in the developing world. Someone’s tax dollar is hard at work. And as we find out the supposed cure comes from the ones that may have created the disease. As if the clues weren’t already there a year ago.

what is this government doing? Are they actually TRYING to get most of the people in this country sick with the virus?? Because it seems that EVERY SINGLE MOVE they make is geared toward that goal! What's wrong with them? They want to hold the Olympics HERE yet they're giving much needed vaccines to another country doing MUCH better than Japan??

Seriously? Are they just trying to give everyone the virus? What are they doing?

There is no shortage of vaccine in Japan. The logistics of administering the injections in a timely manner is the issue. Providing Taiwan with the AZ vaccine is a logical and humane thing to do.

It is just so pathetic to hear Japan say they want to help other countries while they are among the worst in the world controlling the virus and vaccinating. It sounds so empty. And of course they will only offer AZ.

whenever Japan pretends to care about non Japanese interests, get worried

My parents are both in their 70s. One is diabetic and one has been fighting cancer for 10 years.

They both recieved the astrazeneca vaccine in Australia with no issues. Don't be scared of it.

Why not give all the vaccine to Taiwan. It’s not like Japan is using any of it.

Then we can all go to Taiwan and finally get the vaccine.

Cuz it’s not happening here.

Fantastic!! Maybe we can fly to Taiwan to get the vaccine!! What is wrong with these idiots?

whenever Japan pretends to care about non Japanese interests, get worried

Spot on.

Why not give all the vaccine to Taiwan. It’s not like Japan is using any of it.

Then we can all go to Taiwan and finally get the vaccine.

Cuz it’s not happening here.

Assuming of course they let us back in....

Since AZ vaccination still has some health risk (blood clot) the government is not willing to take the risk with elderly people. So just give away to Taiwan and if the approve the will use. If they reject than a lot of vaccinations will end up as waste.

Also i assume there are political relationship due the tense situation with China.

But why not provide to countries who do not have money.

It is quite sad when a government has to give up on distributing a vaccine in high demand by the population. At least it will be used, but the situation makes you think how useless are the people in charge, not even a global pandemic with millions of deaths can make them consider changing regulations to facilitate immunizations.

Taiwan has been using AstraZ for its people from the beginning, but it can not get them any more by sabotage of China. There are/will be a lot of AstraZ storing in Japan and Japan is not going to use them now. So just given to Taiwan if they are happy about it.

Friggin noggins. What have these leaders got in their heads......rocks?

I wish they would just let us choose if we want to get AZ vaccine or not. Tell us the real risks of getting the blood clots, then let us make an informed decision like adults.

If people knew the real risks, very few would get any of the vaccines.

If they were well informed, they would all be demanding ivermectin.

The government is dumping the vaccine they don’t use at home on another country.

Please give AstraZeneca to Taiwan, at least they'll manage to put it in their people's arms. Sell crazy somewhere else, we're fully stocked here!

It seems to me China, US and UK are dumping vaccines all over the world. Because they have enough.

With less than 9% of Japan vaccinated so far - they do not have a surplus yet. It is laughable to use ‘swiftly consider’ in the same sentence when referring to J gov.

AZ blood clots - I read scientists have found a solution to the blood clots that have effected very few people

With less than 9% of Japan vaccinated so far 

Japan has no shortage of vaccines any more but real shortage of vaccine injectors. That's why Japan is slow vaccination, probably for a little while.

Good Job Japan. Let us help the people of Taiwan! Taiwan helped Japan during the 2011 Earthquake, so now we can help the people of Taiwan.

while Japan has secured more than 400 million doses, 

126 million citizens, why buy 400 million of a vaccine that is banned in some countries, on hold in others? Maybe it’s like South Africa, who discovered this vaccine is not effective so they donated them to third world countries?

(BTW, only 60% of Japanese want a vaccination)

How hard is it to stick a needle in someone’s arm? Is this something that’s takes years of training? Am I missing something here? Japan will always find excuses for being hopelessly slow.

To all the objectors, where is your sense of internationalism? It is a good compromise. Astra is basically safe but the few blood clots it caused are all over the media so people are psychologically deterred. So, send it to a jurisdiction that is being squeezed. You are doing good with something your people think they don't need.

I’m glad Japan are going to donate vaccines to Taiwan - its outrageous that the UK, US and Japanese bought so many more than needed in the first place.

The selfishness of the UK to be vaccinating 18 year olds when there are hundreds of millions of elderly people all over the world who have not been vaccinated yet. I am glad Japan is at least recognizing they have bought too many and dealing with it before they expire.

How hard is it to stick a needle in someone’s arm? Is this something that’s takes years of training? 

That part is easy, the side effects and possible death is not. Medicines are regulated for a reason.

By now we all know Japanese government doesn’t care about life and I bet they are all vaccinated and that’s why

But then again the vaccine has the potential to harm and cause death so perhaps the Japanese government are aware and do care about life after all

astra zeneca is vaccine killer,just check news from Europe....

Yes, It unfortunately kills some people but saves much much more people.

Total cases・total deaths

Taiwan 6,761・59

Japan 738,488・12,840

Japan's government needs to learn from Taiwan about how to control infection.

is it really a help or another way of experiment?

Earlier news on Astra Zeneca vaccine:

https://japantoday.com/category/features/health/clot-questions-over-astrazeneca-and-j-j-vaccine

Blood clot questions over AstraZeneca and J&J vaccine - Japan Today

Be nice if we could some vaccinations done here one day! Still less than 5% vaccinated in Japan. Ludicrous. Bring in the elementary school children to run things. They’d do much better job. Or we could send vaccinations to other countries and still insist on holding the Olympics possibly during a state of emergency.

I have 19 members of my 2 extended Japanese families willing and ready to take AZ anytime.

As bad as I may feel for Taiwan, I think those in Japan should get our Vaccine first.

I hope people of Taiwan will not get angry. Japan is trying to give the ones that they do not feel safe.

In Taipei, which reported 555 new domestic infections on Thursday, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung welcomed the news but said there had been no official notification, adding that if vaccine doses did come, it should be soon. "It wouldn't mean anything if they came later," he told reporters.

Chuckle! Great punchline, Minister Chen Shih!

Agree with all the other posters, who say that while this attack of altruism is very touching, it sticks in our craw when Taiwan's response is so much better than here, and 95% of the population here has had no chance to get vaccinated.

The subtext does seem to be 'we don't really trust the AZ vaccine, so let's dump some over the neighbour's fence and use them as lab rats. We can play big player on the world stage and at the same time, stick two fingers to China. What's not to like? Let our peasants whine about not getting the vaccine, maybe it'll reduce the number of refuseniks if we give it away to the neighbours' peasants.'

Taiwan have been using AstraZ for people from the beginning. New variant is lately spreading all over Taiwan but it can't get them any more by sabotage of China. Taiwan desperately needs more vaccines. There are/will be a lot of AstraZ storing in Japan and it is not going to use them now, so Japan gives them to Taiwan.

AlbertToday  08:19 am JST

Since AZ vaccination still has some health risk (blood clot) the government is not willing to take the risk with elderly people.

There is more risk of a blood clot from flying or taking the Contraceptive pill. Stop scaremongering.

MatejToday  10:47 am JST

astra zeneca is vaccine killer,just check news from Europe....

There is more risk of a blood clot from flying, or taking the Contraceptive pill. Stop scaremongering.

Over 17,000,000 people have had the AZ vaccine, including me, the numbers who have developed blood clots is absolutely tiny and predominantly in younger people. The vaccine quite safe, easy to store and available at costprice, so it makes me wonder why there are so many people out there deliberately spreading lies, many part of an orchestrated campaign, to discredit the vaccine. Most seem to originate in Russia and China. Hmmmm...............

Japan, Thank you very much!