TOKYO (AP) – A few months after other major economies, Japan began administering the first coronavirus vaccines to health workers on Wednesday. Many wonder if the campaign will reach enough people and, in time, to save the Summer Olympics, already a year late by the worst pandemic of a century.
Despite recent rising infections, Japan has largely avoided the kind of cataclysm that has hit the economies, social networks and health systems of other rich countries. But the fate of the Olympics and the billions of dollars at stake if the Games fail make the Japan vaccination campaign crucial. Japanese officials are also well aware that China, which has managed to eradicate the virus, will host next year’s Winter Olympics, which increases the desire to hold the Tokyo Games.
A major problem as vaccines are launched – first for health care workers, then for the elderly and then, possibly in late spring or early summer, for the rest of the population – are concerns about the lack of imported vaccines on which Japan is based, and a long time – the reluctance among many Japanese to get vaccines due to fears of relatively rare side effects, which have been reported by the media in the past.
The late launch will make it impossible to achieve the so-called “herd immunity” against the virus before the Olympics begin in July, experts say.
The vaccination mechanism has the support of the government, but there is widespread caution, even opposition, among citizens to the games. About 80% of those surveyed in recent media polls support the subsequent cancellation or postponement of the Olympics due to virus concerns.
Attended by a room full of media, Dr. Kazuhiro Araki, president of Tokyo Medical Center, rolled up his shirt sleeves and received a jab on Wednesday, becoming one of the first Japanese to be vaccinated.
“It didn’t hurt at all and I feel very relieved,” he told reporters as he was monitored for any allergic reactions. “We now have better protection and I hope we feel more at ease while offering medical treatment.”
About 40,000 doctors and nurses considered vulnerable to the virus, because they treat patients with COVID-19, were in the group receiving the first dose starting Wednesday and will receive the second dose starting March 10.
Japan lags behind many other countries. The government approved the first vaccine only on Sunday for photos developed and provided by Pfizer Inc.
The UK began vaccinations on December 8, while the United States began its campaign on December 14, with about 15 million people vaccinated by mid-February. The vaccines were launched in Germany, France, Italy and many European countries at the end of December.
Japan has fallen behind because it has asked Pfizer to conduct clinical trials with the Japanese, in addition to studies already conducted in six other nations. Japanese officials said this was needed to address concerns in a country with low confidence in the vaccine.
“I think it is more important for the Japanese government to show the Japanese people that we have done everything possible to prove the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine to encourage the Japanese to get the vaccine,” said Japanese Vaccine Minister Taro Kono. “So at the end of the day we could have started slower, but we think it will be more efficient.
Japan’s distrust of vaccines is decades old. Many people have a vague concern about vaccines, in part because their side effects have often been reported by the media here.
Half of the recipients of the first photos will keep a daily record of their condition for seven weeks; that the data will be used in a health study to inform people about the side effects.
“We would like to make an effort so that people can be vaccinated with peace of mind,” Katsunobu Kato’s chief secretary told reporters.
Japan, where the development of its own vaccines is still in its infancy, must initially rely on vaccines developed abroad. Suga on Wednesday acknowledged the importance of strengthening the development and production capacity of vaccines as “important crisis management” and pledged to provide more support.
The supply of imported vaccines is a major concern due to the lack of supply and restrictions in Europe, where many are manufactured.
The supply of imported vaccines will determine the progress of the vaccination momentum in Japan, Kono said.
The first batch of Pfizer vaccine to arrive on Friday is enough to cover the first group of medical workers. The second batch is set for next week’s delivery.
To get the most vaccine from each vial, Japanese officials strive to obtain specialized syringes that can contain six doses per vial instead of five standard syringes made in Japan.
After front-line health care workers receive the vaccines now, inoculations with another 3.7 million health workers will begin in March, followed by about 36 million people aged 65 and over starting in April. . The people with the underlying health problems, as well as the caregivers at the nursing homes and other facilities, will be next, before the general population receives its turn.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said he is determined to hold the Olympics safely as “proof of human victory over the pandemic”, but the outlook is uncertain given the state of the infections. Japan is currently in a state of partial emergency, in part because Suga virus measures have been too lax and slow.
Critics say many health care workers are now helping the vaccination process at a time when Japanese hospitals are already strained by the daily treatment of COVID-19 patients. There is concern that hospitals will not have additional capacity to cope with the large number of foreign visitors that the Olympics would involve.