Japan’s Faster Vaccine Rollout is Good News for the Economy
- Japan to overtake current U.S. vaccination levels by Sept. 12
- Infection surge, more virus restrictions still present risks
Vaccination at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, on Aug. 2.
Photographer: Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/Bloomberg
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Japan’s vaccine drive was slow to get going, but it’s on track now to beat the current U.S. inoculation rate within weeks -- good news for an economy that’s endured one virus emergency after another.
If the current pace is sustained, Japan will have 51% of its people fully vaccinated by Sept. 12. As soon as Sunday, the country should hit the 40% target that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga set for month’s end, meeting a key milestone ahead of schedule amid widespread criticism Japan hasn’t done enough to rein in Covid-19 cases.