Japan Ramping Up COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts

This article was originally published in ContagionLive.

A recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Japan is overwhelming many hospitals across the country.

The jump in cases has caused a shortage of beds, equipment and medical staff, raising concerns about treatment for more severe cases. This has led to a drive for mass vaccination, as the inoculation efforts up until this point have been slow. Only 1.9% of Japan’s population has been fully vaccinated.

In Australia, medical experts have raised concerns over a troubling amount of vaccine hesitancy in the country. A recent survey showed that about 1/3 of the population reported that they were unlikely to get vaccinated. Australia has had one of the slowest vaccine rollouts in the developed world, but shots have picked up in recent weeks.

In England, more than 50 million vaccine shots have been administered. First shots have been given to 31,546,846 adult, with 18,699,556 having had both. Experts have stated that this is great news and inoculation efforts are right on pace. England recently allowed people aged 32 and 33 to become eligible for a vaccine.

Data Table per Our World in Data (May 24, 2021, 12 AM EST)

The US reached the 50% mark for COVID-19 vaccinations in the adult population this week. This new milestone means that around 131 million adults are completely inoculated, reaching closer to President Biden’s goal of 160 million by July 4th.

Data Table per CDC COVID-19 Tracker (May 24, 2021, 6 AM EST)

For more information on COVID-19 vaccination research, distribution, and assessment, check out some of these recent Contagion stories:

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacious in Pediatric Population

COVID-19 Vaccines Reduce Asymptomatic Cases

FDA Authorizes Longer Refrigeration Period for a mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine