Japan to start vaccinating health workers on Wednesday, with 40,000 doctors and nurses in 100 hospitals across the country receiving Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, according to the head of the launch of the Japanese vaccine Taro Kano.
Of the 40,000, we asked 20,000 doctors and nurses to keep a journal of their health, temperature, headaches and whatever happens to them, “Kano said.” We will monitor them for 21 days, then they will get a second shot starting March 10 “
After the first round of doctors and nurses, the launch will continue for 3.7 million doctors, pharmacists, nurses, ambulance drivers and other front-line workers, Kano added.
Vaccinations for the elderly will begin in April, and the country aims to complete public vaccination during the year.
Olympic Games in play: The launch comes as Japan is scheduled to host the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in July, despite growing public opposition and rising costs.
A survey conducted last month by national broadcaster NHK found that 77% of people in Japan believe that the Games should be canceled or postponed, largely due to logistical obstacles to hosting such a massive public health event. crisis.
The country’s medical system has been overwhelmed, although it has the most per capita hospital beds in the developed world. Cases have doubled in the past two months, reaching over 406,000, extending Japan’s medical system to the brink.
Japan was among the last major economies to approve the use of a coronavirus vaccine and began launching, raising further questions about the country’s ambitious plan to achieve the necessary levels of immunity in time for competition.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said last month that his government was “determined” to “hold safe Olympics.”
Kano, the head of vaccination efforts, told a news conference on Tuesday that “the Olympics are not on my schedule … we need to think about the actual supply number and then we will come up with a possible target.” when asked about when Japan is expected to reach the herd’s immunity benchmark.