NHK



 

Japan's nationwide data underscore the slow rollout pace of coronavirus vaccine booster shots among younger generations.

The government released on Monday the first nationwide rollout figures for the third vaccine shot by age group.

The data show that 57.54 million people, or 45.4 percent of the country's population, have had their third shots.

People in their 80s have the highest rate with 88.4 percent, followed by those in their 70s with 86 percent, and people between 65 and 69 years old with 77.8 percent.

The younger the age group, the lower the rollout rate.

The data show that 25.9 percent of those in their 30s got booster shots, followed by 24 percent of people in their 20s.

The rate among people aged between 12 and 19 is 5.4 percent.

The health ministry says the largest group in terms of new cases reported during the week through April 5 was people in their 20s, accounting for 18 percent of the total.

The ministry is working to promote the rollout among younger generations by covering the cost of university students getting booster shots at vaccination sites run by municipalities.