Angle: Uncertainty about Japanese vaccination, opening of the Olympic Games | Reuters

[Tokio, 27, Reuters]— As vaccination against the new coronavirus advances in Europe and the United States, it is expected that Japan will take another month to start. How to deliver to the whole country in an ultra-low temperature state, how to secure the doctors and nurses, how to manage the place. There are many practical problems to solve, which can lead to further delays. There is uncertainty as to whether this large-scale project can be implemented before the opening of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games six months later.

Press conference in early January. When asked about the prospects for the Olympics, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said: “I think the atmosphere of the people will change if we respond more strongly to the vaccination that will start in late February.” Even if vaccinations for healthcare workers start at the end of February, there are only 145 days left until the opening of the Olympics on July 23. Assuming that half of the population is vaccinated twice a day, 870,000 vaccinations must be administered a day across the country. The first vaccine is expected to be approved in regulatory review in mid-February.

To achieve this, it is necessary to purchase a large number of trucks, special freezer storage, dry ice, and obtain the cooperation of many medical personnel. It is the government that plans it, but it is the municipalities at the district, city, town and village levels that implement it, which is a new burden as it is busy dealing with the crown.

Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, will conduct a trial with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on the 27th, assuming a mass vaccination. Results will be shared with local governments soon.

In Yokohama, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s constituency, around 50 city officials form a team to secure vaccination sites, as well as doctors and nurses. “For humans who have been on the defensive for a long time, vaccination is the first counterattack against the new coronavirus,” said the team leader.

Japan has signed a contract with Pfizer to receive a vaccine for 72 million people before the end of the year, but the vaccine, developed with genetic technology, must be stored at minus 75 degrees, much lower than in a normal freezer. The government plans to insure 20,000 freezer units, including ultra-low temperature specifications, and supply a large quantity of dry ice.

The difficulty of managing vaccines at very low temperatures is a microcosm of this large-scale vaccination program. The annual amount of dry ice produced in Japan is 350,000 tons. Most of them are for storing ingredients, according to people familiar with dry ice machines. To transport the vaccine, it is necessary to purchase powdered or granular vaccines, and the manufacturing method is different.

“Not only are the parts of the manufacturing equipment changed, but the manufacturing methods are different,” the person said. “It will take months to change.”

The logistics operator Nippon Express is participating in discussions about the transportation of Pfizer vaccines. Four warehouses are being built to store drugs in Japan, but it will be completed in February and is not designed for the ultra-low temperature specifications needed to store Pfizer vaccines.

Japan Freezer (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo), which runs the freezer, has produced 2,300 units for the government, but has not signed a formal contract until the vaccine is approved by the national regulatory review. The company’s freezer operates on a normal 100-volt power supply, but may need to be rewired for safe use in vaccination settings such as schools.

“Half done. We will finish the other half in June,” a company official said. The production line is in Denmark, “it is difficult to get enough parts due to the sudden increase in production,” the person said.

Medical device maker PHC Holdings (Minato-ku, Tokyo) is also one of the companies that the government has asked to produce a freezer. The main factory operates 24 hours a day to respond.

Even if the vaccine reaches the scene successfully, it is necessary to reassure the medical staff that they are already busy dealing with corona patients for vaccination. According to a survey by Kyodo News of local governments where 47 prefectures are located, 80% of those surveyed said that getting doctors and nurses was a major problem.

The Self-Defense Forces have sent nurses to local governments where the medical system is tight and, according to the press office of the Defense Ministry, there is a high possibility that support for vaccination will also be requested. The Self-Defense Forces have around 2,000 doctors and nurses trained to give injections, but not all of them are dedicated to support.

Japan agreed to receive a total of 314 million vaccines from Pfizer and various pharmaceutical companies. However, it will take several months before you are actually insured.

Japan may lag behind other countries in vaccination, which could raise suspicions about hosting the Olympics, says Yoshito Futaki, a visiting professor at Showa University School of Medicine. On the other hand, he points out that rushing the vaccination plan is more problematic and should be done with caution.