Expectations are high that licensed nurses who are not employed at medical facilities can help speed up Japan's coronavirus vaccination rollout, but obstacles remain, including inflexible working hours.
"I could cooperate if I give shots at a local clinic in the mornings," said a 38-year-old woman in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, who worked as a nurse at a hospital before quitting six years ago after becoming pregnant.
The woman, who feels frustrated every time she sees a media report about the shortage of personnel to administer vaccines, is now looking for a job on the condition that she only works while her child is attending preschool.