The government has brought forward a plan to expand access to a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination center in central Tokyo after slots were left unfilled for next week.
The available slots were booked up within hours of it being opened up to those age 65 and older in the surrounding prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa, according to the Defense Ministry, which operates the center. Staffed by doctors and nurses from the Self-Defense Forces, the center, which kicked off Monday, has a daily capacity of 10,000 shots of Moderna Inc.’s vaccine.
More than 30% of the 70,000 slots for next week remained available as of Wednesday, leading to the decision to widen access a week earlier than planned, according to the Sankei newspaper, which first reported on the plans.