With vaccinations for the elderly against the novel coronavirus slated to start on April 12, distribution has begun of the first batch of 97,500 doses.
Doses of the vaccine manufactured by Pfizer Inc. are expected to reach all municipalities nationwide by the week of April 26, when inoculations will go into full swing. About 36 million elderly people, including those who are to turn 65 this fiscal year, will be eligible to receive shots.
In the first round, four boxes containing a total of 3,900 doses will be distributed to each of the three prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa and Osaka. Two boxes containing a combined 1,950 doses will be sent to each of the other 44 prefectures in Japan, for a national total of 100 boxes, or 97,500 doses.
On Monday, the city of Hachioji in Tokyo began accepting reservations on a first-come, first-served basis through a dedicated call center and website. Setagaya Ward and Hachioji will be the earliest municipalities in Tokyo to start vaccinations, on the first possible date of April 12.
Reservations for the first round of inoculations in Hachioji were fully booked in just 90 minutes, and the city office and public health centers were flooded with inquiries.
"From next month onward, all those who wish to receive the vaccine will be able to, so we ask residents to continue their efforts to prevent infection," a city official said.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
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