Less than 30% of health workers vaccinated in Japan, 65 days before the Olympics

Three months after the start of the vaccination campaign and 65 days before the start of the Olympic Games, the picture of vaccinations in Japan does not look very encouraging.

Less than 30% of health workers in Japan have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the big cities, as the Nikkei newspaper wrote today at a time when calls for cancellation of the event are increasing.

According to AMPE, government figures released this week show that less than 40% of all health workers has been fully vaccinated.

The problem is particularly acute in the capital Tokyo, which will host the Games, and in other cities with large populations where, according to the newspaper, the percentage of fully vaccinated health workers is less than 30%.

The large volume of their supply vaccines is concentrated in large hospitals and problems have been observed in the detention system for medical staff, the newspaper writes.

The slow pace of vaccination of doctors and nurses is one of the complaints voiced by the country’s medical associations calling for the cancellation of the Games as the country fights to stem its pandemic. coronavirus.

The government aims to vaccinate more than 36 million people over the age of 65 by the end of July.

To achieve this goal the government hopes to provide about one million doses a day, that is, three times faster than today.

So far only 3.7% of Japan’s population of 126 million has been vaccinated with at least the first dose – the slowest vaccination rate among rich countries.

The problem was initially identified in the limited supplies of the Pfizer vaccinethe only one approved so far by the country’s regulatory authorities.

But then, in May, vaccine receipts increased and the government is expected to approve this week and Moderna vaccine for use in vaccination centers where mass vaccinations are given.

Domestic regulators are also considering AstraZeneca vaccine.