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Speeding up the rollout makes us feel safer because it affects our social life and the economy. If 80-90% of the population gets vaccinated, I think we can hold the Olympics smoothly.

20 Comments

Munemitsu Watanabe, a 71-year-old office worker who got his first vaccination shot at a large-scale inoculation site in Tokyo on Monday.

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Just read that elderly people who were able to make reservations for vaccines yesterday are slated to receive them in August! That would be after the Olympics are held. For the rest of us, there is no timetable to when we can get the vaccine!

15 ( +15 / -0 )

71 office worker, sorry mate still having to work at 71. Youre choices and views I will take with a slice of lemon and pinch of salt.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Yeah, I believe this. Snicker snicker snicker.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

A timetable to inoculate Japan's general population still doesn't exist, with 2 months to go to the games, so I'm wondering why this guy was even quoted in the first place.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

They're vaccinating 20,000,000 a day now in China. Mr. Watanabe seems to have had his brain removed and replaced with the NHK early evening news.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

That is why the postponement of the olympics makes total sense instead of cancellation.

that and the fact that all concerned parties, including IOC and athletes but also sponsors, Tokyo, the taxpayers, airlines, hotels, bars, restaurants, broadcasters, tokyo2020 organising committee, training camp host cities...benefit from a postponement. Only 6 individuals want the games to go shead in 2021 for personal gain.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Since minors are not even considered for vaccination there is no real possibility that 80% of the population is going to be immunized this year.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Big IF.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

If 80-90% of the population gets vaccinated, I think we can hold the Olympics smoothly.

If he thinks they can vaccinate 85 million people in 59 days, the government has done a good job of hoodwinking him.

That's over 1.4million a day.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

if 80-90% of the population gets vaccinated,

Haha.. if Japan can get 20% of its population vaccinated by the Olympics it would be a miracle.

For 80-90%? Until you link number of vaccinations to politician bonus pay and give them a cut of 50% of vaccine sales to ensure each politician can each average 1000M JPY+ in income, they have no motivation to do anything to speed up vaccinations.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Japan is up to around 9M vaccinations now, and doing around 400-500k a day so realistically 50M by the Olympics is possible if things continue to ramp up. 80-90% of the population is wildly optimistic though.

In any case it is good to see a bit more urgency around vaccines.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

I tried to apply for a vaccination in June. Couldn't. Checked at city office. Server had crashed. Told it was not possible to get a booking for June because they had all gone. Told to book in June for a vaccination in July. Later learnt all bookings went in less than 10 minutes.

There is no way 80-90% will be vaccinated in time for the Olympics.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Haha such optimism from a 71 old is rare to see.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Munemitsu Watanabe, a 71-year-old office worker who got his first vaccination shot at a large-scale inoculation site in Tokyo on Monday.

I hope I'm retired by the time I reach his age.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If 80-90% of the population gets vaccinated, I think we can hold the Olympics smoothly.

LOL! Good luck with that ol timer!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I am sorry Watanabe san but vaccinating 80-90% of the Japanese population by the time the Olympics start is a mathematical impossibility.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

How long is it going to take to get 80-90% of population vaccinated TWICE and then wait 3 weeks for antibodies to be at full strength? 2021 Olympics will come an go and the 2024 Olympics will come an go before Japan is anywhere near that target!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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