Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Young people have been lining up to get vaccinations in central Tokyo after a big push by the local government to increase the number of those protected against the coronavirus. 

Two days after the opening of the vaccination center for young people in the district of Shibuya, many young people of different nationalities residing in Japan lined up to have their first shot of vaccination.

Japanese, Nepalese and Burmese people were among those waiting with their tickets to enter the vaccination center in one of the busiest parts of Tokyo.

 A young nurse assistant from Myanmar working in a hospital in Japan came to get her vaccine because her hospital does not have enough doses for its staff, especially trainees. 

 A thirty-year-old Japanese man working in the logistics industry said he doesn’t know why his company didn’t offer him a vaccination but he came on the first day, and got a ticket for his second shot.  He said he wanted to be vaccinated very quickly.

 Another Japanese man from Shinagawa told Arab News Japan that there was no vaccination center in Shinagawa in the southern part of central Tokyo, which is why he came to be vaccinated at the Shibuya Youth Center.

 A young Nepalese couple said they came to the vaccination center at the request of their company.

 An employee of Tokyo Metropolitan Government said he was sorry for the people who were unable to enter on the first day due to the high traffic.

 Every day the center is open without appointment from 9:30 am to 10:30 am, during which  people can obtain a lottery ticket to try and “win” a vaccination.

On August 29, 1,357 young people obtained lottery tickets but the center only had plans to vaccinate 354 people.