Japan business leaders suggest ways for govt to speed up vaccination rate
29/04/2021 09:48
TOKYO, April 29 (Reuters) - Japanese business leaders and a
Nobel-prizewinning biologist called upon the government to
reform its vaccination programme, including allowing
drive-through inoculations, as the nation struggles to contain a
resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan has secured the largest quantity of COVID-19 vaccines
in Asia, as it gears up for the summer Olympics. But it has
inoculated only 1.6% of its population so far, the slowest among
wealthy countries.
Government data on Wednesday showed that Japan has only used
about a fifth of the coronavirus vaccine doses it has imported
so far, underscoring logistical hurdles such as a shortage of
medical staff. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2ML2QC
Twenty-four business leaders, including e-commerce group
Rakuten's 4755.T CEO Hiroshi Mikitani, and Nobel-winning stem
cell biologist Shinya Yamanaka said a bolder and coordinated
effort was needed to speed up vaccinations.
"The government and local administrations must not be
constrained by outdated thinking and must make effective use of
private sector expertise," they said in a statement on
Wednesday.
They urged the government to simplify vaccine application
procedures, quicken administration of vaccines by allowing them
to be done using a drive-through system and large-scale
facilities, and seek the cooperation of medical experts.
The proposals also called for the government to manage
vaccination records to encourage residents and visitors from
outside Japan who have been inoculated to resume economic
activities.
Japanese government officials were not immediately available
for comment on Thursday, a national holiday in Japan.
Rakuten's Mikitani, who is also the representative director
of the Japan Association of New Economy, has said it was "too
risky" to hold the 2020 Tokyo Olympics this summer, as Japan
struggles with a nascent fourth wave of the pandemic.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2M009R
Supporters of the proposals included the Japan Medical
Association President Yoshitake Yokokura, furniture chain Nitori
Holdings Co's 9843.T CEO Akio Nitori and Takeshi Niinami, head
of Japanese beverage group Suntory Holdings.
(Reporting by Eimi Yamamitsu; Editing by Muralikumar
Anantharaman)
((eimi.yamamitsu@thomsonreuters.com;))