TOKYO: The Japanese government is trying to dispel concerns over a planned system for centralized management of personal information related to upcoming novel coronavirus vaccinations.

Regulatory reform minister KONO Taro, also minister for coronavirus vaccinations, and digital transformation minister Takuya Hirai are expected to address the concerns, but details of the system have yet to be decided.

Another problem is how to ensure strict management of collected information.

The new system will utilize a database that will be built based on the basic resident register system. On the database, the serial numbers of tickets for vaccinations that municipalities will distribute to local residents will be registered, as will their My Number social security and taxation identification numbers.

Medical workers will scan a quick response, or QR, code on each ticket at vaccination venues to collect personal information, such as the time, date and place of the vaccination and the type of vaccine injected.

The government initially planned to record such data on vaccination registers managed by municipalities.

But vaccination register systems are different from one municipality to another. Furthermore, paper-based procedures remain in some places.

Kono and others see these as problematic, saying the use of municipal systems would not help save time or efforts.

They say municipalities will benefit from the planned system, which will allow them to grasp the inoculation situation of local residents immediately.

COVID-19 vaccines will be administrated in two doses. With the new system, it will become possible to remind citizens who moved after getting the first jab or who did not show up to receive the second shot.

The central government aims to put the system into operation in time for the start of vaccinations for elderly people, expected for as early as April.

The government plans to cover all costs related to the system. On Friday, however, Kono told a news conference that the size of related fiscal spending “has yet to be decided.”

Separately, the health ministry is developing its own system to manage the distribution of vaccines.

The government hopes that the combination of the two systems will help ensure that the massive nationwide vaccination project goes ahead smoothly.

Local governments, however, have concerns about the new systems. On Wednesday, the Japan Association of City Mayors told the central government that municipalities do not want to be bothered by a possible increase in administrative work.

“They won’t require a lot of work,” Kono replied, adding that local governments will only need to use flash memory sticks to transfer necessary data to the new systems.

Hirai also asked for understanding, saying, “The basic resident register system has already been linked to the My Number system.”

Many people do not like the idea of centralized management of personal information by the state.

To help ease such misgivings, it is important to take full measures to prevent any leakage of personal information or use of such information for undesignated purposes.

Regarding this, the central government hopes to swiftly set details of the management and supervisory scheme. “We’ll hold full talks with local governments” on the issue, Kono said.

JIJI Press