31 May 2021 (Monday) – Coronavirus Digest from Japanese Morning TV News Part 2 (of 2): Put some vax on the tracks and slide on out of here
See photo captions for stories
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[Today’s (now yesterday’s) vaccine piece started off with info about the SDF centers – stuff we covered in Tuesday’s Part 01 anyway (catchment area, cancellations, capacity expansion, etc.)]
Then NHK went on to remind us that actually vaccinations are proceeding at all local authorities too.
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[Now, in a kind of “nice problem to have” kind of way] one of the issues people are facing is getting an appointment for their second jab.
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On social media, people are posting that they can’t get their second appointment and they are worried about the gap between jabs.
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According to NHK, the official guidelines from the respective makers are that a 3-week gap is recommended for Pfizer, and a 4-week gap for Moderna.
[Although people have mentioned in previous threads that studies indicate that an 8-week gap is still OK and in fact a 12-week gap might actually be better.]
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At the SDF-run centers, then you go in for your first jab, you arrange your appointment for your second jab no problem. [I may be oversimplifying but it seems as if first jab slots will remain at half capacity while full capacity is achieved by having people come in for the second jabs.]
In [some] local authorities, the reservation system makes no distinction between first and second jabs, and people are in a tug-of-war for available slots.
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This town in Shizuoka initially only got 17,000 doses and so prioritized first jabs with these.
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[This left them with not much in the way of slots for second jabs, and the “usual” 3-week gap had to be pushed to a 7-week gap, leading to concerns about the effects on the effectiveness of the two-jab regime…]
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Accordingly to Pfizer’s own manual, if you exceed 3 weeks, you are asked to carry out the second jab, “as soon as possible” but it doesn’t give an outer limit, leaving city officials to wonder how big a gap they can get away with.
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In response, the city has extended each day’s vaccination hours to [open up more slots and] ensure that everyone can get their second jab within four weeks of the first one.
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Prof guy says there’s absolutely no need to panic.
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“Whether it’s 3 weeks, or even 5 or 6 weeks, there won’t really be that much of a difference.”
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“Even if it’s later than three weeks, the vaccine’s effectiveness does not suddenly just drop through the floor. Even if you can’t get an appointment [at the moment], you really should make sure you get your second jab.”
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Meanwhile, in order to ensure the vaccination of people who receive care support at home, local authorities are turning to care managers.
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This municipality has been holding mass vaccinations at central locations. But of the 3000 old people in the are who receive care support at home, the city reckons only 120 have made vaccination appointments.
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To get around the problem, the city has asked 34 care management companies, overseeing 120 care workers…
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…to conduct an independent survey of their patients.
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Of the respondents, they found that 356 would go to a vaccination center if it was barrier-free.
127 wanted to have drive-through shots.
111 said it would be difficult for them to leave their homes.
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The city has also asked care managers to support their patients by helping them to make vaccine appoints (if they are confused by the telephone or online system).