Japan’s Olympic Vaccine Wild Ride
Tokyo’s latest scoop: the government might hand out coronavirus shots first to athletes heading for the Games, sparking a social media storm that has people questioning whether vaccines should stay in your grandma’s hands or go straight to sprinters and gymnasts.
Vaccinations are still “in its infancy”
- Only the Pfizer jab’s been given the green light.
- Since February, just 1 million people have gotten a first dose out of a 126 million strong country.
- Elderly folks will finally start receiving shots next week.
COVID‑19 is on a roll before the Games
Cases are spiking just as the Olympics kick off in July, which means the country’s vaccination queue looks a lot slower than in other top economies.
What the officials are hinting at
“We’re exploring the possibility of ensuring all Olympic and Paralympic athletes are vaccinated by the end of June.” This is what officials were saying after a late‑night Kyodo interview.
Social media erupts… with some colourful comments
“Give it to my mother first,” someone wrote on Twitter, rounding out the feeling that age can’t compete with elitist “nap‑2025” athletes.
Another user chided: “Athletes are all young and healthy.” The debate marches on, with people arguing the original scheme gives priority to healthcare workers, the elderly and people with chronic health issues – meaning general citizens are in the back seat.
“This is really weird. We don’t even know if all the elderly will receive their shots by mid‑June, but the athletes might be in the front row?” a Twitter handle, Aoiumi2, typed.
Japan still believes in the Olympic spirit
Despite the backlash, officials say they’ll keep the Games rolling from July 23, but a huge chunk of Japanese people still want to cancel or postpone them.
Some test events for certain sports were recently postponed due to the pandemic, and Hiroshi Mikitani, CEO of Rakuten, put it in one tweet: “Honestly, I feel the Olympics this summer are just far too risky. I’m against it.”
Let’s keep the conversation going
- Will vaccines fly to the athletes’ doorsteps first, or will the old‑timers win the prize?
- Can the Games be safe with the vaccine wheel spinning so slowly?
- Will we all need a “delayed” vaccination schedule because of the Olympics?
{who might want to point out admissions of the possibility queue bring Chinese etc}— the dialogue itself shows how vaccination routes run kinda like marathon courses: long and tricky, but everyone’s waiting for that final finish line.
