Authorities in Japan are on the verge of approving at least one more vaccine for the coronavirus. Right now, only the Pfizer vaccine has been cleared for use in the country—and the pace of vaccination remains extremely slow.
Compared to most countries of similar size and wealth, Japan remains severely under-vaccinated for the coronavirus.
Based on official figures, Reuters estimates less than 3% of Japan’s population has been fully vaccinated.
This week, a panel of experts at the Health Ministry will consider approval of the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines.
National broadcaster NHK says the Moderna vaccine is likely to be approved as early as Friday, while the AstraZeneca process may take a bit longer.
Local governments are still setting up mass vaccination sites, while much of the country remains under a state of emergency.
That includes Tokyo, which also faces other issues like the Summer Olympics—still scheduled to start nine weeks from Friday.
A new national poll from the Asahi Shimbun this week finds 83% of respondents want the Olympics canceled or postponed, up from 69% a month ago.
A group of about 6,000 primary care doctors in Tokyo is urging that the games be canceled.
The Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association posted an open letter to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga this week, saying hospitals in the capital city “have their hands full and have almost no spare capacity.”
