TOKYO (AP) Japan is publicly adamant that it will stage its postponed Olympics this summer. But to pull it off, many believe the vaccination of its 127 million citizens for the coronavirus is key.
It s an immense undertaking in the best of circumstances and complicated now by an overly cautious decision-making process, bureaucratic roadblocks and a public that has long been deeply wary of vaccines.
Japan hopes to start COVID-19 vaccinations in late February, but uncertainty is growing that a nation ranked among the world’s lowest in vaccine confidence can pull off the massive, $14 billion project in time for the games in July, casting doubt on whether the Tokyo Olympics can happen.
By SIMON DENYER AND AKIKO KASHIWAGI | The Washington Post | Published: December 19, 2020
Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See other free reports here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. TOKYO Japanese long-distance runner Hitomi Niiya doesn t want to take a coronavirus vaccine ahead of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She s worried about side effects and has faith in the precautions already underway. The 32-year-old elite athlete isn t alone. Japan s government has preordered 290 million doses of the Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines, more than enough to cover its population of 126 million, and says it aims to vaccinate everyone by the middle of next year - in time for the pandemic-delayed Olympics in July.