The government, which had aimed to have the entire elderly population fully vaccinated by the end of July, said that 86% of those 65 and over have received a first dose and 74% a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Friday, according to data from the Cabinet Secretariat.
More alarming perhaps is that recent trends indicate an urgent need to accelerate vaccinations among younger people, among whose infections have been rapidly spreading.
Vaccinations started for about 36 million elderly on April 12. According to the Cabinet Secretariat, about 30.54 million nationwide have received a first dose, with the vaccination rate exceeding 80% in all prefectures. In Yamagata, Gifu, Shiga and Saga prefectures, the rate has topped 90%.
The number of elderly who have also received a second dose is about 26.44 million. Gifu Prefecture, at 85%, has the highest vaccination rate, while six other prefectures had rates in the 80% range.
"We have achieved our goal [of completing vaccinations of those who wanted it]," Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference on Friday night.
On the other hand, the vaccination rate for those under 64 remains low -- just 13% for the first dose and 4% for the second, according to data collected by The Yomiuri Shimbun.
"Compared to other countries, we can say that [vaccinating the elderly] is going well," said Koji Wada, professor of public health at International University of Health and Welfare. "The effect of that can be seen in the fact that the number of infections among the elderly has been suppressed."
However, Wada also pointed out that for those under 64, "The number of seriously ill patients in the 40-to-early 60s age range is increasing, so it is necessary to speed up vaccinations. If this generation gets vaccinated, then the younger generation which includes their children will be more willing to get the vaccine."
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