The Self-Defense Forces started Monday operating mass vaccination centers in Tokyo and Osaka to increase the inoculation of the elderly against COVID-19.
The first batch of people eligible to receive the vaccination at the centers are those 65 or older who live in the 23 wards of Tokyo or the city of Osaka. Reservations are required, and 7,500 people combined were expected to have received the first dose of their vaccination on the first day.
The Defense Ministry is planning to increase the number of vaccination recipients in stages, aiming to vaccinate 15,000 people per day from May 31.
At the Tokyo venue, a government building in the Otemachi district of Chiyoda Ward, people with reservations began gathering from about 6:30 a.m. Monday, an hour before the site opened.
"I was hoping to get a shot as soon as possible," said a smiling 74-year-old man from Shinagawa Ward. "I feel relieved now."
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is being used by the SDF. People given the first dose at a mass vaccination center will receive the second dose at the same venue.
In Kita Ward, Osaka, about 60 people with reservations lined up in front of the mass vaccination venue at the Osaka International Convention Center before it opened at 7:30 a.m.
The government aims to finish vaccinations for the elderly by the end of July. The SDF has been brought in to speed up the process. The operation is being carried out by 80 SDF doctors and 200 SDF nurses, supported by about 160 general staff of the SDF. About 200 nurses from the private sector are also taking part in the operation.
The venues will be used for vaccinations for three months. Through Sunday, vaccinations are scheduled to be given to 49,000 at the Tokyo venue and to 24,500 at the Osaka venue. From May 31, the aim will be to vaccinate 10,000 people per day in Tokyo and 5,000 people per day in Osaka.
When reservations can be made by people over 65 eligible to receive vaccines at the SDF-run mass vaccination venues depends on where they live. Through Sunday, reservations are being accepted from people who live in all areas of Tokyo as well as Osaka Prefecture who wish to be vaccinated from May 31 through June 6.
Reservations can be made through a special online site that can be accessed through the Defense Ministry's official website or through the Line messaging app. QR codes for direct access via smartphones to the special site have been made public as well.
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