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▼ Govt Stops Accepting Applications For Workplace Vaccinations
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The government on Friday temporarily stopped accepting applications from companies to conduct COVID-19 inoculations at workplaces as demand exceeded expectations, stretching vaccine supply levels.
In a program broadcast by Fuji TV on Thursday, Taro Kono, the minister in charge of the vaccination rollout, said the number of vaccinations per day had reached more than 1.2 million, including those not yet reported by local governments.
If workplace vaccinations that kicked off on Monday were included, “it would be close to 1.5 million doses per day,” Kono said. “Considering the supply of the vaccine, we are approaching the limit.”
The vaccine developed by U.S. biotech firm Moderna, Inc. is being used for workplace vaccinations. The government has a contract for the company to supply 50 million doses — to cover 25 million people — by the end of September.
However, in the past two weeks, the government has received applications for about 33 million doses for workplace vaccinations. The 12 million doses to be used by local governments raises the total figure close to the number of doses the company has been contracted to supply.
The government has decided to temporarily stop accepting applications for workplace inoculations as imports of the vaccine might not keep up with the surge in demand.
According to a senior government official, “some companies have applied for vaccines for hundreds of thousands of people,” which is said to be one of the reasons for the temporary suspension.
On the same TV program on Thursday, Kono asked for the public’s understanding regarding the temporary suspension, saying that the government had secured enough doses for people who want them, including the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is being used in the vaccine campaigns operated by municipalities.
However, there was no indication that the government plans to resume applications for workplace vaccinations.
■ Municipalities readjust plans
The government has also suspended applications for inoculation venues operated independently by local governments, forcing municipalities to review their vaccination plans.
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said Thursday that plans to open a second mass vaccination site would be scrapped but that vaccinations at the first site, which is already in operation, will not be affected.
Kagawa Prefecture announced that it would postpone the opening of mass vaccination sites at Kagawa University and Shikoku Gakuin University, which were scheduled to open in July.
Kochi Prefecture plans to set up a vaccination site in Kochi City from mid-July with the capacity to inoculate about 20,000 people, including public school teachers and police officers.
Kochi Gov. Seiji Hamada told the prefectural assembly on Thursday that vaccine distribution is being reviewed, suggesting that the municipalities’ plans may have to be revised.
In a program broadcast by Fuji TV on Thursday, Taro Kono, the minister in charge of the vaccination rollout, said the number of vaccinations per day had reached more than 1.2 million, including those not yet reported by local governments.
If workplace vaccinations that kicked off on Monday were included, “it would be close to 1.5 million doses per day,” Kono said. “Considering the supply of the vaccine, we are approaching the limit.”
The vaccine developed by U.S. biotech firm Moderna, Inc. is being used for workplace vaccinations. The government has a contract for the company to supply 50 million doses — to cover 25 million people — by the end of September.
However, in the past two weeks, the government has received applications for about 33 million doses for workplace vaccinations. The 12 million doses to be used by local governments raises the total figure close to the number of doses the company has been contracted to supply.
The government has decided to temporarily stop accepting applications for workplace inoculations as imports of the vaccine might not keep up with the surge in demand.
According to a senior government official, “some companies have applied for vaccines for hundreds of thousands of people,” which is said to be one of the reasons for the temporary suspension.
On the same TV program on Thursday, Kono asked for the public’s understanding regarding the temporary suspension, saying that the government had secured enough doses for people who want them, including the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is being used in the vaccine campaigns operated by municipalities.
However, there was no indication that the government plans to resume applications for workplace vaccinations.
■ Municipalities readjust plans
The government has also suspended applications for inoculation venues operated independently by local governments, forcing municipalities to review their vaccination plans.
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said Thursday that plans to open a second mass vaccination site would be scrapped but that vaccinations at the first site, which is already in operation, will not be affected.
Kagawa Prefecture announced that it would postpone the opening of mass vaccination sites at Kagawa University and Shikoku Gakuin University, which were scheduled to open in July.
Kochi Prefecture plans to set up a vaccination site in Kochi City from mid-July with the capacity to inoculate about 20,000 people, including public school teachers and police officers.
Kochi Gov. Seiji Hamada told the prefectural assembly on Thursday that vaccine distribution is being reviewed, suggesting that the municipalities’ plans may have to be revised.
- June 25, 2021
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