Japan business leaders suggest ways for government to speed up vaccination rate

Tokyo

JAPANESE business leaders and a prize-winning biologist called upon the government to reform its vaccination programme, including allowing drive-through inoculations, as the nation struggles to contain a resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Japan has secured the largest quantity of Covid-19 vaccines in Asia, as it gears up for the summer Olympics. But it has inoculated only 1.6 per cent of its population so far, the slowest among wealthy countries. Government data on Wednesday showed that Japan has only used about a fifth of the vaccine doses it has imported so far, underscoring logistical hurdles such as a shortage of medical staff.

Twenty-four business leaders, including e-commerce group Rakuten's chief executive officer (CEO) Hiroshi Mikitani, and Nobel-winning stem cell biologist Shinya Yamanaka said a bolder and coordinated effort was needed to speed up vaccinations. "The government and local administrations must not be constrained by outdated thinking, and must make effective use of private-sector expertise," they said on Wednesday.

They urged the government to simplify vaccine application procedures, quicken administration of vaccines by allowing them to be done via a drive-through system and large-scale facilities, and seek the cooperation of medical experts. The proposals also called for the government to manage vaccination records to encourage those who have been inoculated to resume economic activities.

Government officials were not available for comment on Thursday, a national holiday in Japan.

Mr Mikitani, who is also the representative director of the Japan Association of New Economy, has said it was "too risky" to hold the Tokyo Olympics this summer, as Japan struggles with a fourth wave of the pandemic. Supporters of the proposals included Japan Medical Association president Yoshitake Yokokura, furniture chain Nitori Holdings CEO Akio Nitori and Takeshi Niinami, head of beverage group Suntory Holdings. REUTERS