TOKYO (Reuters) – The head of Japan’s COVID-19 vaccination program on Wednesday denied media reports that vaccinations for the general public could begin in May, as the country faces a third wave that has brought record numbers of infections and severe cases.
The media, including the public broadcaster NHK, quoted an anonymous source close to the government as saying that vaccines could reach the public in May.
“Oh, no, NHK, please don’t go around doing vaccination schedules like this. It’s fake,” said administrative reform minister Taro Kono, who was chosen to lead the vaccine launch this week.
The Yomiuri newspaper said the government intended to inoculate most of the population by July, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, scheduled to start on July 23.
The government said it would prioritize medical workers, the elderly and those with pre-existing illnesses in its vaccination program, scheduled to start in late February, but has not provided a timetable beyond that.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said in a daily news that “the vaccination schedule for the general population will be decided after the vaccine is approved”.
The timing of the campaign is of particular interest, as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that vaccines are essential for a safe Olympics.
Japan has arranged for the purchase of 540 million doses from several Western developers, including Pfizer Inc, whose vaccine is expected to be the first to obtain regulatory approval.
Japan signed a contract to buy 144 million doses of Pfizer vaccine in 2021, the health ministry said on Wednesday, pending domestic approval. That is a 24 million dose increase in a previous deal.
Japan had 345,060 coronavirus cases and 4,749 deaths, the NHK reported.
Although the death toll has decreased compared to many countries, the number of daily deaths reached 100 for the first time on Tuesday, while the number of critically ill people reached an all-time high of 1,001, according to news reports. Kyodo.
(Reporting by Sakura Murakami, Kiyoshi Takenaka and Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel)