Coronavirus: Japan to make vaccines free of charge as deadly infection wave threatens elderly

Beds for the most serious cases are already running low in some regions, as increasing numbers of older people catch the coronavirus this time around

PM Suga has vowed to secure enough vaccine for the ‘people of the country’ by the first half of next year. It is unclear if this includes foreign residents

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Japanese lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday to provide coronavirus vaccinations free of charge. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:29am, 2 Dec 2020Updated: 12:17am, 3 Dec 2020

Japanese lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday to provide coronavirus vaccinations free of charge, as differences between the country’s most recent coronavirus surge and a wave subdued in the summer raise concerns in a nation with a population that has been counted as among the most vulnerable in the world.

At first glance, the latest wave of cases that began in November appears similar to the summer jump, which was brought under control with only minor tweaks in policy. But authorities this time are calling to prepare for a “worst-case scenario” as serious cases rise well past the summer peak.

“We have a sense of urgency over the fact that the number of serious cases has risen to almost 500,” Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said on Tuesday. The increase is sending authorities scrambling to ensure there are enough beds and medical practitioners to staff them.

Japan’s current outbreak is chiefly focused on four areas with major metropolitan populations: the city of Sapporo in the northern island of Hokkaido, which was the first place to see the cases surge both in the current outbreak and the initial wave in February; Aichi, the industrial heartland home to Toyota; the commercial homeland of Osaka; and the capital Tokyo.

In many of those regions, beds for the most serious cases are already running low. With Tokyo nearing 50 per cent capacity, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will ask hospitals to add another 50 beds for serious cases, NHK reported on Tuesday. That would bring the total to 200. Bed usage dipped on Tuesday, with the city reporting five deaths.

The cause behind the rise in serious cases is no mystery – increasing numbers of older people, who are at greater risk, are getting Covid-19 this time around, compared to the summer wave.

An elderly woman walks though an alley at a market in Tokyo last month. Increasing numbers of older Japanese are getting Covid-19 this time around. Photo: AFP

The trend is particularly pronounced in Tokyo, where younger people made up a much larger proportion of cases during the summer, helping to ease the impact on the health system.