Health ministry and Kawasaki city officials in Kanagawa Prefecture conduct the nation s first large-scale drill for COVID-19 inoculations on Jan. 27. (Hikaru Uchida)
KAWASAKI The first large-scale COVID-19 vaccination drill was held here to prep health workers and uncover potential problems for the much-anticipated and unprecedented mass inoculation program.
About 60 people, including Kawasaki city government employees, participated in the Jan. 27 drill that was organized by the health ministry and the city in Kanagawa Prefecture.
The participants simulated the vaccine operation flow while avoiding the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus.
Local governments have know-how on distributing vaccines for influenza and other infectious diseases. But they are not necessarily well-equipped for the speedy and mass inoculation that is planned to end the COVID-19 crisis in Japan.