Japan gives first COVID-19 vaccinations to health workers in Tokyo

Japan began launching the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, starting with an initial group of 40,000 health workers, before later expanding its inoculation program to cover the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions.

The first shots were fired at a state-run hospital in Tokyo, and vaccinations will take place in 100 medical units in Japan by next week. The country has been relatively slow to launch vaccinations against the new coronavirus, starting the program later than at least 70 other countries.

The start of vaccinations comes less than six months before the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, and as public support for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga dwindles amid criticism of a slow response to the pandemic.

Of the initial group of health workers, 20,000 will participate in a study to look at the potential side effects caused by the vaccine developed by American pharmacist Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE in Germany and how often they occur.

They will be asked to keep daily records for seven weeks after taking the first of the two photos. The images will be taken three weeks apart.

Medical facilities were equipped with ultracold freezers capable of storing the vaccine at about minus 75 Celsius. Once removed, the doses must be stored in the refrigerator and used within five days.

Another 3.7 million front-line health workers will start receiving vaccinations in March, followed by 36 million people aged 65 or older in April.

People with pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, and those who work in care facilities for the elderly will then eventually follow the general population.