Japan starts checking COVID vaccination status of overseas arrivals

Very familiar.

Hysterics.

P. SmithToday  03:38 pm JST

Only a compete idiot would claim they were the first person to do anything on an anonymous internet thread.

Only a complete idiot would be triggered by something like that.

zichiToday  03:41 pm JST

Still in quarantine then?

Are you familiar with the quarantine requirement in Japan? If so, I do not understand your question.

The smell of porkie pies is making me hungry.

Totally not true in my case.

Just came back from the US through Haneda the other day.

No one asked if I has been vaccinated.

Why so much concern about dividing humanity in asinine social categories?

While a tad harsh, it's becoming more clear that it's the case. At least in the USA, the politically charged anti-vax people are starting to see the light, albeit slowly. Even right wing media is beginning to cave because their base are checking into hospitals and/or dying. Never thought I'd hear Fox people finally say "get your vaccination", but good will prevail. Just like with Biden.

Breakthrough COVID infections happen, but they are rare.

So receive your EUA jabs and feel comfortable in your newly acquired safety.

Why so much concern about dividing humanity in asinine social categories?

P.S. Knowing that everyone on a flight is vaxxed would offer great reassurance. There should be no choice.

Been Pfizer vaxxed since February. Would love to see my co-workers/friends in Japan, once again. Last time was Nov 2019. Testing is easy. Hoping for a late 2021 entry with test/vax, but not holding my breath.

99.992% of fully vaccinated people aren't getting COVID. https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/04/99-992-of-fully-vaccinated-people-have-dodged-covid-cdc-data-shows/

Not only that, pretty much the only people dying right now are the unvaccinated:

An Associated Press analysis of available government data from May shows that “breakthrough” infections in fully vaccinated people accounted for fewer than 1,200 of more than 107,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. That’s about 1.1%.

And only about 150 of the more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in May were in fully vaccinated people. That translates to about 0.8%, or five deaths per day on average.

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-941fcf43d9731c76c16e7354f5d5e187

There are two types of unvaccinated people. Those who choose not to be and those who will likely have a serious, negative, reaction to the vaccine based on prior, actual, negative, vaccine reactions.

The first group is being selfish and trying to kill the 2nd group.

The first group should stay home, effectively in quarantine until COVID is gone like polio is gone. Their health insurance rates should double or triple. It is their choice.

The 2nd group got a bad genetic lottery and is well aware of their risks in public.

Unvaccinated by choice people are terrible at weighing abstract risks, not only for themselves, but for society.

Facts:

99.992% of fully vaccinated people aren't getting COVID. https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/04/99-992-of-fully-vaccinated-people-have-dodged-covid-cdc-data-shows/

Breakthrough COVID infections happen, but they are rare https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/05/covid-cases-after-vaccination-are-still-very-rare-variants-arent-changing-that/

How many billions of people need to be vaccinated before the group that chooses NOT to get vaccinated will finally believe they are safe, effective, and have minimal risks? Remember, even with the vaccines that have the worst side effects, it is 1 in 1,000,000 for that to happen.

Yes, we are all special, just like everyone else.

And in the mean time, there are many thousands of vaccine deaths and many thousands of vaccine injuries around the world

Naah, there aren't.

@pukey2 yes yes, I am assuming Marie’s friend was spending the normal quarantine in a hotel because of the travel restrictions within Japan, as many people not living in Tokyo spend those 14 days in the area before being able to go back home (especially if sponsored by their company).

If Marie’s friend was going out during the compulsory 3-days or 6-days hotel quarantine on arrival because of coming back from a ‘variant’ country, then I would be sincerely shocked and outraged, because the closest thing to a human I have seen in my 90h was the chicken in the bento. Although it’s true there wasn’t a single Japanese returnee among those locked in my hotel, despite obviously being in the same flight…

Does this apply to Olympic freeloaders?

Am so glad we need no passport for traveling in Japan. Me and my best friend, my wife have been traveling all over Japan and we are sort of train geeks, so life has been good. All these Kanko trains are empty.

I get my second shot on Sunday. She being too young cannot even get her first because you need a ridiculous registration form from the local City. So backward. Bring us an American drug store to let us get shots with no questions asked.

Same goes for attending a concert, a sporting event basically any sort of normal life. This is the way the world is moving until these knuckle draggers get vaccinated or die off.

Put me in the "no proof of vaccination = no entry camp" for all non-citizens and permanent residents.

One can choose not to get vaccinated. In doing so, one gives up the privilege of being granted entry. This would exclude PR and Citizens as they have the right to enter the country.

zichiToday  05:06 pm JST

> yes, you even laid claim to being the first poster to be fully vaccinated.

I was; my point is, I still was required to quarantine.

zichiToday  04:57 pm JST

Proof of vaccination on exit and entry plus negative test equals no quarantine. No vaccination on exit and entry equals tests plus quarantine.

Not when I came back in June.

Vaccinated people can still carry the virus.

Would a Covid test show positive in that case?

And in the mean time, there are many thousands of vaccine deaths and many thousands of vaccine injuries around the world which statistics can be found on official government sites. Are people blind ? It is amazing that you can give this information to people and they still can't wait to get jabbed with an experimental " so called Vaccine "

P. SmithToday  04:40 pm JST

We all appreciate your contribution to keeping everyone safe. JFC.

No problem. If there are statistics on a fully vaccinated, twice tested for Covid person actually being infected, please let me know.

Japan did not ask my tax status when I entered, and I even said to the quarantine people--Why don't you ask if we are vaccinated? And, I am vaccinated, don't you want to retain that information?

As mentioned, I did not have contact with the public, so I just went out and about and had a good time.

I mean, if I were a far left extremist I would have preferred to stay home and watch CNN all day, right?

@OssanAmerica: No one is saying that vaccination should be compulsory. Just saying that for the next 2-3 years that if you choose not to be vaccinated then certain freedoms may not be afforded to you - in respecting the wishes of the vast majority.

zichiToday  10:54 am JST

Vaccinations should not be compulsory. Documents can be forged.

Any document can be forged. That alone is not a reason to not make vaccination compulsory (for entering any country).

Pukey2Today  04:03 pm JST

marie was referring to her friend's stay in the hotel. When I was in the hotel, we were NOT allowed to leave the room for any reason, only just to open the door to grab our meals.

When I came back from the States, did not have to stay in hotel; went home.14 day quarantine period. And went food shopping almost everyday. Went to the gym. Convenience stores.

I just did not have 'contact' with the public.

@Bjorn: You are an intelligent chap. You know what the vaccine is intended to do. Keep us out of hospital predominantly. It is also reducing the risk of transmission, That is going to be a concern for many people. The vast majority of people would rather go into a restaurant/bar etc that requires patrons to be vaccinated than somewhere that doesn't. So, if you are the owner of such an establishment what would you do? I'd want my business back and as many people as possible who feel safe being there.

Above:

When I meant hotel, I meant my first 3 days at the airport hotel. After I went home, yes, I did go out for walks, but avoiding other people.

louisferdinandcToday 01:13 pm JST

@marie, @pukey2, all 14-days quarantine (or 11-days or 7-days if the first days were spent at a quarantine hotel) at home for those having tested negative is ‘light’, as everyone is allowed to take walks and do grocery shopping,

marie was referring to her friend's stay in the hotel. When I was in the hotel, we were NOT allowed to leave the room for any reason, only just to open the door to grab our meals.

If you trust the vaccine enough that you choose to have it then great , you have nothing to fear from some one who hasnt had it, if your dose of holy water works as it should then you will be perfectly fine...........

After all isnt that why you choose to get the vaccine ? Or now it doesnt work, or you unsure , or its still experimental , or it doesnt work like that, or .........................which one is it?

Is it simply that everyone else must comply with what you think it should all be ?

Matej: And you can choose to take the vaccine or don't come into the country. It's as simple as is.

It's no burden on Japan whether you come or not. There's still plenty of vaccinated people willing to invest their money into the country. I have feeling most people not vaccinated would probably not have traveled to Japan to begin with.

Don't want to get vaccinated: OK.

Want to come to places that require you to be allowed to come: Nope.

Expecting us to feel bad: Waste of time.

Sure Matej: You are free to do that. And I would be very happy to turn you away with that attitude. From my Border. From my Restaurant. Play by my rules and you are free to come and go as you please.

You see, the vast majority of people are going to feel happier if those around them ARE vaccinated in the future. Fair or unfair will be irrelevant. So, yes, your freedom will be limited. By choice.

@Sven. We are talking about Vaccine passports here issued here. Seriously mate.

That’s of absolutely no use, as it is only a paper stating anything , but not really representing the physical vaccination or immunization status of the paper’s holder. And of course many of those pieces of paper are falsified, they can buy them for very little money at every third world bazaar, you cannot even check those statements, barcodes or QR codes against the databases in all those countries. Maybe a global blockchain certification would help, but that’s something very far in the future and not even all countries will probably participate in such a project.

My opinion above - to apply to Citizens and Legal Residents.

Totally up to personal decision to be vaccinated or not. I fully respect that. No need to discuss if the vaccines are experimental or not.

As for re commencing International Travel - very different.

My opinion is (and feel free to pick holes and debate) assuming we are based in Japan as legal residents.

72 hour testing will remain at point of departure - not a big deal from a civilised country. Its getting cheaper and easier.

Test on arrival. If negative, Those who have have a Japanese Vaccine Passport - 3 days at home. Unvaccinated, 14 days at home. GPS tracked - with home visits by local law enforcement.

Positive - Incarcerated at Covid Hotel - 14 days.

No tourists until at least October 2022 IATA Winter (2022-2023 schedule).

@marie, @pukey2, all 14-days quarantine (or 11-days or 7-days if the first days were spent at a quarantine hotel) at home for those having tested negative is ‘light’, as everyone is allowed to take walks and do grocery shopping, but requested not to take public transportation and not to come in contact with people other than those they live with. Of course this being Japan the communication about it is only given orally by the quarantine officers, and the pledge we sign doesn’t explicitly allow it nor forbid it (while it does forbid taking public transports).

Having shorter or no quarantine for those vaccinated and having tested negative before departure and on arrival seems pretty reasonable…

@Matej

Of course, every individual has that right, but if they choose to not be vaccinated without a medical reason, they should have to deal with the consequences. Those consequences should include not being able to travel globally during an ongoing global pandemic.

Nobody makes you buy car insurance, but you can't drive a car without insurance, should uninsured drivers be freely allowed on the road even if they choose not to be insured?

You should have every right to refuse vaccination if you so choose, as poor a decision as that would be. However, every business and establishment should also have the right to refuse service (or not) if you make that choice.

Not all vaccines are created equal. 2 have been proven to be significantly more effective against all the current major strains of COVID.

There are 3 goals with vaccination.

a) stay out of hospital; let hospitals concentrate on non-COVID health needs

b) vastly reduce chances of becoming infected

c) if infected, vastly reduce the chance of passing it onto others

In my reading, only the 2 mRNA vaccines are effective against the fast spreading Delta, or is that Beta, COVID variant. That should guide the decision about international travel.

If not vaccinated with 1 of those 2 options, stay home. If unvaccinated, stay home.

Once the Olympics are over or canceled then I will be back for a visit

marie:

was on "quarantine light," that is, he can leave his hotel for walks in the evening or to go to the conbini.

How do you qualify for 'quarantine light'? Japanese nationality?

yes @Matej: No Vax, no entry or re-entry. I fully support that if it comes to it. Only people exempt should be for valid medical reasons, not through some half baked objection.

I'm sure J&J will be approved for use here and as a recognised vaccine in Japan. But probably never be used here (same as AZ) Efficacy isn't fantastic and is NOT the shot of choice in countries where it is approved. A lot of US stocks destined for countries in need.

@Reckless - Me too - but honestly I think we are looking at next Spring for reduced Quarantine here (in or out of Hotels)

"...explores the feasibility of exempting those vaccinated abroad from the country's strict entry restrictions"

Meanwhile, J-gov has already been granted concessions from other countries for their so-called "vaccine passport" which will allow vaccinated Japanese citizens to bypass most entry restrictions.

A bit rushed, isn't it?

J&j only applied for approval recently and said if approved deliveries could come early 2022. No hurries I guess

Japan has so far approved vaccines developed by U.S. pharmaceutical companies Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc as well as Britain's AstraZeneca Plc.

I'm surprised that they haven't approved J&J yet.

They need to figure something out. A Japanese friend of mine (who is fully vaccinated thanks to living somewhere with a full vaccine rollout months ago) just came to visit his parents and was on "quarantine light," that is, he can leave his hotel for walks in the evening or to go to the conbini. I asked if that was because he's vaccinated and he said it was not. Great job Japan.

Japan starts……….

you mean they weren’t checking for the last few weeks, since the Australians came in?

what were they doing?

not giving vaccines, that’s for sure.

Good.

Hopefully they'll be able to assess that those who used vaccines not approved in Japan can be allowed eased border restrictions as well

@divinda

I believe if you consider not only the athletes but all people attending the Olympics the vaccinatoin rate is probably quite a bit less than 80%.

...and another thing, for those returnees who were fully vaccinated in Japan (so can provide proof), the above should apply to them immediately.

Japan has begun surveying overseas arrivals about their COVID-19 vaccination status 

Being that the vast majority of foreign entrants are currently Olympic related (who should be 80%+ vaccinated), and the only other foreigners allowed to enter Japan are residents (most of whom, if vaccinated, probably did so abroad), then these vaccination stats for arrivals may be just a little unreliable of reality.

If they are fully vaccinated, have a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to arriving, and also test negative with an antigen test upon arrival, then they shouldn't need to quarantine. At worst, they should have to quarantine for only 3 days if they get another negative PCR test.