The government will extend its period of offering financial support to promote COVID-19 vaccinations until the end of November, and will include additional measures to support workplace vaccinations at small- and medium-sized companies, it has been learned.
The government had originally planned to provide financial support for vaccinations until the end of July.
The financial support will be extended to, for example, clinics that increase its number of vaccination shots or hospitals that implement special vaccination systems.
Normally, 2,070 yen is paid per shot as part of vaccination support. But if a clinic continues to provide 150 shots or more a week over a period of four weeks, 3,000 yen will be added per shot.
If a hospital enhances its vaccination system to deal with off-hour and holiday vaccinations for at least one day a week over four weeks or longer, 7,550 yen will be paid per doctor per hour and 2,760 yen will be paid per nurse or other medical worker.
It is expected that all the nation's 1,741 municipalities, including Tokyo's 23 wards, will finish vaccinating people aged 65 or older by the end of July. The extension of financial support is expected to assist in meeting Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's target of completing vaccinations for everyone who wants to do so in the working population as well as younger people in the general public by October or November.
The government's measures to promote workplace vaccinations include providing financial support of up to 1,000 yen per shot for setting up vaccination venues and procuring supplies, when small- and medium-sized companies invite doctors in cooperation with a chamber of commerce and industry and other organizations.
The same support measures will also be applied to cases when a university or a vocational school organizes vaccinations for local residents.
For workplace vaccinations, a company has to secure doctors or space to conduct vaccinations, and large companies have been starting their own vaccination drives. The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry has sought support measures on the grounds that small and medium-sized companies face difficulties for such matters as securing doctors.
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