Only about 2% of the novel coronavirus vaccines delivered for the inoculation of elderly people had been administered as of Sunday, according to government data released Monday.
According to the data, 13,369 shots of vaccine had been administered across the nation as of Sunday. That figure represents just about 2% of the vaccines shipped as of the week of April 12.
The situation regarding vaccinations has varied depending on the local government involved, and authorities' different management systems have likely led to gaps between them.
The government data showed that Aichi Prefecture had administered the most shots, at 1,190. It was followed by Ishikawa Prefecture with 1,049 shots, Kanagawa Prefecture with 1,028 and Aomori Prefecture with 1,017.
In contrast, the government listed 21 prefectures as having given 100 shots or less. Some prefectures, including Tochigi, Shizuoka and Saga, were reported as having administered zero inoculations.
In Tochigi Prefecture, vaccinations have started at elderly facilities in such municipalities as Utsunomiya. However, according to the Utsunomiya municipal government, the number of elderly residents who were vaccinated at such facilities has not been reported to the city.
"Elderly facilities and the city government have been so busy," a city official said. "Please wait until we can announce the progress of vaccinations."
In Shizuoka Prefecture, vaccinations for staffers at an elderly facility in Hamamatsu started on April 12, but according to the city, difficulties entering information in a vaccination data management system led to the facility's not reporting on its progress.
In Saga Prefecture, 230 residents and staffers at elderly facilities in Saga City have been vaccinated, but the city has not reported the data. "The city and medical institutions have been discussing ways to report on the vaccination situation that are not burdensome for front-line workers," a city official said.
Vaccinations for the elderly are expected to get fully underway in May.
"It's not a competition over numbers," a member of the Cabinet Secretariat said. "But we hope the data will help [local governments] to move forward smoothly with vaccinations."
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