Japan to provide free COVID-19 vaccine to all its residents
All Japanese residents will receive a free COVID-19 vaccine under a bill recently passed by the country’s lawmakers.
According to wire reports, the bill has been approved by the upper house of parliament and aims to cover the vaccination for Japan’s 126 million residents.
Japan has so far recorded 2,100 deaths and 150,000 cases due to COVID-19. Recently, the country has been recording record numbers of infections daily in various areas.
The country has so far not imposed restrictive lockdowns, but authorities recently urged residents to limit non-essential travel and for businesses serving alcohol to close early. The recent surge in cases also prompted the suspension of a tourism campaign meant to help shore up the worsening economic downturn brought by the pandemic.
The Japanese government has secured COVID-19 vaccines for 60 million people from drug manufacturer Pfizer, 25 million from biotech firm Moderna, and another 120 million doses from British firm AstraZeneca.
