Japan: From vaccine hesitancy to vaccine success

Japan made a dramatic turnaround in its vaccination rates in the space of several months.

hesitancy　ヘｽﾞｨﾀﾝｼｰ  n)躊躇、ためらい

dramatic　ﾄﾞﾗマﾃｨｯｸ　adj)劇的な

a(the) turnaround タ-ﾝｱﾗｳﾝﾄﾞ n)方向転換、転換

the(a) space 間、あいだ 

contemplate コﾝﾃﾝﾌﾟﾚｲﾄ v)計画を練る、もくろむ、しようと考える

merrily メﾗﾘｰ adv)楽しく、陽気に、気楽に

selfy　n)セルフィー、自撮り

needle　ニ-ﾄﾞﾙ n)注射針

astonish　ｱｽトﾆｯｼｭ v)非常におどろかす

bungle バﾝｸﾞﾙ  v)しくじる、やりそこなう　n)へま、しくじり、不手際

rollout  展開する、展開する事、広げる、伸ばす

overcome  ｵｰｳﾞｧｰカﾑ  v)克服する、乗り越える、打ち負かす

chaos  ケｵｽ  n)混沌、カオス、混乱、無秩序

immunize　イﾐｭﾅｲｽﾞ v)免疫を与える

protest ﾌﾟロｳﾃｽﾄ n)抗議、申し立て   ﾌﾟﾛテｽﾄ v)抗議する

demand　ﾃﾞｨマﾝﾄﾞ v)要求する　n)要求、需要

anger　アﾝｶﾞｧ-　n)怒り、激怒

fear　フｨｱｰ　n)恐れ、恐怖

spreader　ｽﾌﾟレｯﾀﾞｰ  n)スプレッダー、バターナイフ、拡散機、散布機

horrify　ホ-ﾘﾌｧｲ  v)怖がらせる、ぞっとさせる、震え上がらせる

ruined　ル-ｳﾝﾄﾞｩ  adj)荒廃した、台無しの、損なわれた

It seems hard to believe now, but at the beginning of June, I was seriously contemplating flying to the United States to get a Covid vaccine.

With just seven weeks to go until the Olympics, only 3.5% of Japan's population had been fully vaccinated. 

While friends in the UK were merrily posting vaccine selfies on social media, here in the capital Tokyo, we were joking we might not see a needle till Christmas.

With the Olympics about to open, it seems astonishing the Japanese government had bungled the vaccine rollout so badly.

Six months later, it couldn't be more different.

Not only has Japan succeeded in overcoming the early chaos, it's manages to get a higher percentage of its population vaccinated than almost anywhere else on Earth.

Some 76% of Japanese are now fully immunized.

The Olympics was key.

Remember, back in July, the large street protests demanding the games be cancelled? There was real anger and fear the games would turn in to a super-spreader event.

Horrified that their big event might be ruined, the politicians finally got their act together.