As Japan prepares to allow paramedics to give COVID-19 vaccines to help accelerate the country's sluggish rollout campaign, fire departments, which employ the majority of paramedic license holders, are discussing how to respond.
Since the nation's medical system remains under severe strain, one proposal would see around 12,000 "latent paramedics" working at fire departments — those who possess licenses but are currently assigned to nonmedical duties — be encouraged to step forward.
Japan launched its inoculation drive in February for health care workers and later expanded it to people age 65 or older.