The Defense Ministry is considering extending the operations of two mass vaccination centers that the Self-Defense Forces are running in Tokyo and Osaka through late November, it has been learned.
This will be the second time the ministry will extend the operations of the mass vaccination centers, which are currently scheduled to run to around Sept. 25.
The SDF-run mass vaccination centers started operations on May 24 and were initially planned to be available for three months. In late July, the ministry decided to extend the operations through late September so that people who got their first shots at the centers can receive their second shots at the same venues.
However, the ministry is set to decide on a second extension, citing strong demand for vaccinations particularly among younger people, according to a senior ministry official. One notable example is a reservation-free COVID-19 vaccination venue that the Tokyo metropolitan government set up for young people in Shibuya Ward, which saw long lines for inoculations.
The ministry is expected to accept new appointments for the reextended period for the SDF-run mass centers, which are expected to continue to use the vaccine produced by U.S. biotechnology firm Moderna, Inc. in giving shots to a total of about 15,000 people per day at the two locations.
For September appointments, the two centers have recently had an average daily total of 500 unfilled slots, mainly at the Tokyo center. The ministry is considering giving preferential treatment to people in their 30s or younger in assigning these unfilled slots.
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