Japanese administrative reform minister KONO Taro has expressed a negative view about publicly utilizing certificates of having received vaccinations against the new coronavirus.

“I cannot assume cases of utilizing vaccination certificates in Japan,” Kono, who is in charge of Japan’s COVID-19 vaccinations, said in a television program aired by Fuji Television Network Inc. on Sunday. “The government currently has no plan to do something like that.”

Kono noted that vaccinations may be effective in preventing the onset and progression of COVID-19 but are not said to prevent the infection itself.

“There is no point in creating a system that would stop people without vaccination certificates from doing certain things,” Kono said, adding that he believes such a system will not spread internationally.

Vaccination certificates are being issued in some overseas countries.

Kono admitted that there is talk about whether Japan should also create a framework to issue vaccination certificates that would be recognized internationally. At the same time, he said, “No concrete action is being taken at this time.”

JIJI Press