The Japanese private sector has been increasingly cooperating for the mass inoculation of the COVID-19 vaccine, such as offering their facilities as inoculation venues or dispatching personnel to local governments.
On March 5, a mock mass vaccination was held in the hall of the Aeon Town Yukarigaoka shopping center in Sakura, Chiba Prefecture. The hall is within walking distance of a station on the Keisei Line, and is also accessible by bus. It has parking for about 2,200 cars.
Sakura Mayor Sango Nishita said, "We are grateful to be able to use a facility in such a highly populated area."
Aeon Co., which operates commercial facilities nationwide, has decided to provide spaces like this in about 20 municipalities, including Hino in Tokyo, and Zama in Kanagawa Prefecture. The facilities are being offered free of charge, except for utilities and other costs. The company is in discussions with about 260 other municipalities.
"The facilities are well-equipped with ventilation systems. We would like to contribute to the community," an official at the company said.
Megabanks and other financial institutions are also expected to cooperate in providing municipalities with facilities they have in various locations. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group will offer several training and recreational facilities, mainly in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka.
There are also moves to make company personnel available where needed.
Drugstores, for example, could dispatch pharmacists to where there is a shortage of personnel to fill vaccine syringes. Tomod's, which operates drugstores in the Tokyo metropolitan area, has decided to make about 50 of its employees available.
Persol Tempstaff Co., a human resources company, will undertake call center services and other work covering a wide range, including the distribution of coupons to be submitted at the time of vaccination, venue management and data entry.
Nippon Travel Agency Co. has decided to take on about 90 projects, including reception, reservation management and call center operations. A spokesperson said, "We would like to make use of the know-how we have accumulated in our own business."
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