Mass vaccination centers run by the Self-Defense Forces in Tokyo and Osaka started handling up to 15,000 COVID-19 vaccine recipients from Monday.

A mass COVID-19 vaccination venue will be opened on the planned site of the Tokyo 2020 public viewing area in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike announced Tuesday.

Inoculations against COVID-19 are key to the success of the government's measures to combat the novel coronavirus. In this series, The Yomiuri Shimbun examines what has been going on behind the political scenes in connection with the vaccines.

A survey of 69 municipalities by The Yomiuri Shimbun found that 60% of them have yet to decide when to send out vouchers for vaccinations against COVID-19 to residents aged 64 and younger.

The government is employing every possible means to speed up vaccinations against COVID-19, including opening mass vaccination centers in Tokyo and Osaka. Vaccine doses and inoculation venues are being readied, but it is still uncertain whether enough staff can be secured to administer the shots.

The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus is decreasing, but it has not dropped enough. While the state of emergency is being extended to control the flow of people, vaccination efforts must be accelerated to contain the infections.