Japan scammed on vaccine negotiations… “Because of weakness, I bought it expensively”

[이미지출처=연합뉴스]

[아시아경제 임춘한 기자] Japan is facing a difficult situation to secure the Corona 19 vaccine as planned. As the timing of introduction of contracts is delayed, vaccinations are virtually delayed, and the number of vaccinations has caught up early in Korea, which started later.

In Japan, local media reported on the 7th that the number of local governments revising or halting resident vaccination plans is increasing as it is predicted that the supply of Corona 19 vaccine will be less than originally expected next month.

According to this report, the Japanese government predicts that the priority vaccination will begin after April 1, even if it is as early as 36 million people aged 65 or older, and requested each local government in late January this year to prepare a plan for the vaccination period or vaccination location. However, when the supply was found to be tighter than expected, the policy was changed to give priority vaccination for the elderly in April. Although it suggested a schedule to start on April 12, it revealed that the initial supply to local governments is limited to 50,000 people.

Although it is started in a hurry to avoid a significant delay in the vaccination schedule for the elderly, there is a possibility that due to the lack of vaccines, only a small portion of the vaccination is given first, and there is a possibility that there will be a situation in which the vaccination is actually awaited securing. As a result, the plans of each local government are also changing. For example, Adachi-ku in Tokyo has pushed forward a plan to inoculate 20,000 people every week from mid-April to late September, but the plan is being reviewed once the prospect of vaccine supply becomes uncertain. Vaccination vouchers were sent to residents under the age of 64 in late April, and group vaccinations were to be initiated from early July, but such plans may also be canceled.

In fact, vaccination in Japan is progressing very slowly. Pfizer vaccination was initiated on the 17th of last month, but only 46,000 medical workers were inoculated by 5pm on the 5th. Korea started vaccination on the 26th of last month, 9 days later than Japan, but 22,5853 people were vaccinated, which is about 5 times that of Japan as of 0 o’clock on the 5th. As of 0 o’clock on the 7th, the number of inoculations was 314,656.

It is known that the Japanese government has had considerable difficulty in securing the vaccine. According to the local media, when the authorities had a hard time in negotiations with Pfizer, Vaccine Minister Taro Kono, Minister of Administrative Reform, said, “I will talk to Pfizer directly,” but Pfizer said, “I wish a prime minister could come to negotiations.” He strongly expressed his intention not to deal with a single cabinet member. In the midst of this, the Japanese government was driven to bad conditions, with the possibility of loss of about 12 million people due to the inability to properly secure a syringe that can inoculate six times with a single vaccine bottle.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that the Tokyo Olympics, which are scheduled to be held in July, and the general election following the expiration of the term of the House of Representatives in October, were in a very desperate situation. Diagnosed. After twists and turns, the Minister in charge of Kono declared at a press conference on February 26 that “by the end of June, approximately 36 million elderly people will be delivered.” However, a ruling party official commented on securing 36 million people, “I got a weakness and bought it at a high price.” Pfizer did not disclose the vaccine price because it was contractually confidential.

According to local media, 1045 new confirmed cases of Corona 19 in Japan were identified on the 6th. As a result, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in Japan increased to 43,9628. The death toll increased by 40 to 8251. The number of new confirmed cases in Japan per day recorded 1,000 people for four consecutive days.

Reporter Lim Chun-han [email protected]