Society

Japan to start inoculating aged April 1 or later

Jan 28 (NHK) - Japanese Regulatory Reform Minister Kono Taro says vaccination against the coronavirus for senior citizens will start in Japan on April 1 at the earliest.

The government aims to start vaccination for medical workers in late February and intends to gradually widen the scope to the elderly, followed by people with underlying diseases and others.

Kono, who is in charge of the country's inoculation program, told reporters on Wednesday the government has taken into consideration the number of medical workers and information from Pfizer, which will provide the vaccine, in deciding on the timing of the rollout of the vaccine for senior citizens.

Kono said he has conveyed the outlook to the National Governors' Association and other local organizations. He added that the schedule for vaccine supplies has not yet been determined, and there is no need for local governments to secure in March facilities where people will be given shots.

He also said the central government and municipalities will share information on the vaccination program.

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