COVID-19 Surge in Japan Drives Mass Vaccination Efforts

In Japan, a recent surge of COVID-19 has caused many hospitals in the country to become overwhelmed. The jump in cases has caused a shortage of beds, equipment and medical staff, raising concerns about treatment for more severe cases. This has led to a drive for mass vaccination, as the inoculation efforts up until this point have been slow. Only 1.9% of Japan’s population has been fully vaccinated.

In Australia, medical experts have raised concerns over a troubling amount of vaccine hesitancy in the country. A recent survey showed that about 1/3 of the population reported that they were unlikely to get vaccinated. Australia has had one of the slowest vaccine rollouts in the developed world, but shots have picked up in recent weeks.

In England, more than 50 million vaccine shots have been administered. First shots have been given to 31,546,846 adult, with 18,699,556 having had both. Experts have stated that this is great news and inoculation efforts are right on pace. England recently allowed people aged 32 and 33 to become eligible for a vaccine.

Data Table per Our World in Data (May 24, 2021, 12 AM EST)

The White House has stated that it expects the country to reach the 50% mark of adults who were fully vaccinated on Tuesday. This new milestone means that around 131 million adults are completely inoculated, reaching closer to President Biden’s goal of 160 million by July 4th.

Data Table per CDC COVID-19 Tracker (May 24, 2021, 6 AM EST)

For more information on COVID-19 vaccination research, distribution, and assessment, check out some of these recent Contagion stories:

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