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Not only that but the total lack of foresight for logistical planning to actually execute an effective mass vaccination effort.
I wouldn't be surprised if they add a "letter of introduction" for anyplace you need to go for the vac.
 
Not sure if this potentially affects Japan, but I'm seeing a lot of reports coming from multiple states here in the U.S. that massive stockpiles of unused vaccines are building up, particularly in states with large populations that expanded eligibility early on. Some states are reporting in excess of 500k doses just sitting in storage; others are reporting hundreds of daily missed vaccination appointments. I was at my local pharmacy today and the line at the special vaccination counter was completely empty.

What that's basically indicating is that to a growing extent, those in America who actually want to be vaccinated already have been, or will be shortly. Even in my current state, which is an ass-backwards blue state that just expanded general eligibility (16+) from today and had one of the slowest roll-outs in the country, just about everyone I know who wanted to get vaccinated has been vaccinated. To the Biden Admin's credit, they really did push to secure far more vaccine than anyone projected six months ago, and now it appears we may be approaching the point where supply is outpacing demand.

The question is, if this trend continues in America, will the Biden Admin share/redistribute our excess supply with other countries, like Japan? My guess is no. Federal agencies here are now aggressively ramping up campaigns encouraging people to get their vaccines, of course targeting the very demographic which is the reason we have so many unused doses--the anti-vaxxers and young idiots who can't be bothered. Also the very same demographic accounting for the majority of new infections. My approach would be to say FUCK'EM and let them get sick, but obviously the government won't let that happen.

But even if the U.S. started shipping excess doses to Japan, would the Japanese government even be in the position to effectively and dramatically expand vaccination efforts? Because from what I can tell, by the time the general population in Japan has access, Pfizer and the others will probably be on the second or third or fourth version of the booster shot to deal with all the variants and the shots we're giving now will be obsolete.

Oh well. I was hoping for a Japan trip in November/December but something tells me it'll be well into 2022 before I step off a plane at Haneda again.
I think Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines have a shelf life of six months. If they had common sense, which is a lot to assume of any politician in any country, they would donate them to the Covax program for the third world. Although they can also sell them to Suga-san, since here the vaccination rate is below that of some third world countries.
 
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I wouldn't be surprised if they add a "letter of introduction" for anyplace you need to go for the vac.
You do - they're being sent out by the municipal offices.
 
Nyah, they have so much they need to throw some away anyways.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210419/p2a/00m/0na/004000c

And what do you mean by slow? They started vaccinating health care workers two months ago and already now almost 25% of them have received at least one shot. It's going to be race to see if they get them all vaccinated before the virus has mutated so much they need another vaccine.
Far be it for them to think outside the box and ask if anyone in the waiting room would like a vaccine as they have some left over.
 
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But even if the U.S. started shipping excess doses to Japan, would the Japanese government even be in the position to effectively and dramatically expand vaccination efforts? Because from what I can tell, by the time the general population in Japan has access, Pfizer and the others will probably be on the second or third or fourth version of the booster shot to deal with all the variants and the shots we're giving now will be obsolete.
As mentioned, Japan has enough shots on order,
Saw this this AM.
Japan orders 50mil more vacc

Don't even think distribution is the issue. Its more the lack of people qualified to stick a needle in an arm.


Oh well. I was hoping for a Japan trip in November/December but something tells me it'll be well into 2022 before I step off a plane at Haneda again.
I'll get working on the welcome party!
 
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Don't even think distribution is the issue. Its more the lack of people qualified to stick a needle in an arm.
I think it's all connected - they can't distribute it effectively if they don't designate or train more people to administer the vaccine properly.
The whole injection process is not rocket science and it's not difficult to train someone to do it properly. This goes back to the whole planning process which I believe is greatly at fault (aside from supply issues).
 
I'll get working on the welcome party!

As long as it doesn't involve undercover agents and Chris Matthews coming out and telling me to have a seat, sounds great.

Japan must have different regulations/requirements for administering shots. Around here, seems like just about any RN is allowed to give the shots, so most of the mass-vaccination sites are being run by major hospitals and their staff. I ended up going with one of the largest private hospitals where they were doing many thousands of injections per day and my entire visit (including registration and then 15 minute "wait period" afterwards) took less than 20 minutes...a real assembly line operation. The slower side is going to a pharmacy, where only the actual pharmacist is allowed to administer vaccinations and in many cases there may be just one on site. I know at my local CVS it's been taking forever to get any non-COVID, garden variety vaccination right now because most have just one pharmacist and he/she is stuck jumping from the line of Pfizer/Moderna customers snaking around the store and then the three or four other customers waiting for their tetanus, flu or shingles shots.

I know most of my clients who are Japanese nationals but live here stateside are absolutely ecstatic to be here where they can actually get their vaccination this side of 2022.
 
To be delivered on September, at the earliest, for 50% of the population, well below the 70% that is considered necessary for the epidemic to be controlled.
I'm reading it as Pfizer & Moderna will have supplied enough doses to vaccinate the entire population over 16 by the end of Sept. (enough for 2 shots each for122 mill people)

Edit. I mean the vaccines will be here, but not in arms.
 
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To be delivered on September, at the earliest, for 50% of the population, well below the 70% that is considered necessary for the epidemic to be controlled.

Well, that blows. Guess I can scratch that November trip. If that projection holds up, just based on what we're seeing stateside and how percentage of vaccinated is affecting new infection numbers, it may very well be next summer before Japan truly has this under control. I feel my dick getting even softer.
 
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Well, that blows. Guess I can scratch that November trip. If that projection holds up, just based on what we're seeing stateside and how percentage of vaccinated is affecting new infection numbers, it may very well be next summer before Japan truly has this under control. I feel my dick getting even softer.

My feeling is that we're not gonna get a grand opening. It's gonna be a bilateral thing, that will then expand into a multilateral one.
US is in prime position to get links open first.

While NZ and Aus have opened a bubble, it will close as soon as they get their first community spread. Neither country is far enough along the vaccine route to allow free travel with other countries, but there is talk of Singapore, Vietnam and one or two other countries being added.

Stay positive!

In my industry, a lot of companies managed to survive a season without any income, but 2 seasons will be too much of an ask unless the govt jumps in with grants (more loans will not fix the prob and they will never be able to be paid back). If these businesses fail then there are gonna be some bargains out there.
 
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I guess I should consider myself lucky that I visited Japan in Feb 2020 and got to visit a few escorts before this whole Covid thing blew up. But if Japan does open around summer of 2022, then it will probably be more than 2 3/4 years since I have visited as I will not be willing to travel to Japan in the summer months because of the blistering weather. Maybe by then my adventures with escorts will be limited to just spending time with a beautiful naked Japanese woman, kissing, hugging and caressing as 2 3/4 years later will reck havoc with my libido and ability to perform.
 
I think it's all connected - they can't distribute it effectively if they don't designate or train more people to administer the vaccine properly.
The whole injection process is not rocket science and it's not difficult to train someone to do it properly. This goes back to the whole planning process which I believe is greatly at fault (aside from supply issues).

Even being optimistic to think that Japan can administer 1 mil doses of vaccine per day (0.5 mil for the first shot/0.5 mil for the second shot), it takes 6 months to reach what Israel has reached by now (fully vaccinate 70% of over 16 population). Even optimistically speaking, the vaccine campaign continues by the end of October.

Yesterday's performance - 133024 shots. Disappointing.
 
I never thought I'd say this, but I'm starting to miss living in Shizuoka. :cry:

My first ever Japanese long-term, and with that I mean over three hours, girlfriend was from Shizuoka. Suffice to say I now gladly avoid the whole prefecture just to be sure I don't accidentally meet her.
 
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My first ever Japanese long-term, and with that I mean over three hours, girlfriend was from Shizuoka. Suffice to say I now gladly avoid the whole prefecture just to be sure I don't accidentally meet her.
What do Shizuoka's ex-girlfriends have that they leave a mark on us?
 
Like that...
2BA9A0EB-2A3C-4345-A4EF-1D597CE0704E.jpeg
 
Now you've got me curious, what exactly is wrong with the women in Shizuoka? As far as I can remember, I don't think I've ever really known anyone from that prefecture, male or female. I once got off the Shinkansen for fun at Shin-Fuji station and walked around for an hour, and that's the full extent of my experience in that prefecture.

Are they arrogant, pretentious, duplicitous twats like the women in Kyoto? Boy Howdy, do I hate that fucking town.