Japan Could Face Vaccine Crunch as It Nears Olympics Start
- Osaka City is thinking about suspending new reservations
- The country has the lowest full-vaccination rate in the G-7
Vaccination in Tokyo.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergSome Japanese municipalities have stopped taking vaccination reservations due to short supplies from the central government, possibly slowing inoculations nationwide just weeks before Tokyo hosts the Olympics.
Osaka City -- part of Japan’s second largest metropolitan area -- will suspend reservations for first-time vaccinations on July 12 because of a lack of clarity on supply from the government, Mayor Ichiro Matsui said Friday in Tokyo after meeting Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. The city of Chiba, just east of Tokyo, said it would suspend new appointments starting Friday, while a handful of other areas have stopped taking new reservations or pushed back plans to open access to people below the age of 65, according to Jiji Press.