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Vaccinations for COVID-19 are gradually expanding to the general population, following the inoculation for front-line essential workers in February and the elderly population of those 65 years old or older on April 12.
Here is what you need to know about getting vaccinated in Japan.

What are the steps that I need to take to be vaccinated?

1. 1. You will receive a vaccination voucher in mail along with a letter of notification from the municipality of your residence
   2. Make your reservation online or by phone

Where can I get vaccinated? 

There are various places where you can be vaccinated.

• Local clinics
• Large-scale vaccination centers run by municipalities, such as public facilities and gymnasiums
• Large-scale vaccination centers run by the Self-Defense Forces in Tokyo and Osaka
• Starting June 21, some universities and offices will start inoculating their students and workers at their facilities

Those who want to get inoculated at a venue outside the municipality where your residency is currently registered should contact your local government office.
You can use this site to search for your nearest vaccination site (Japanese only).

What do I need to do before I go to the vaccination venue?

• Make sure you don’t have a fever or other symptoms of illness
• Make sure you have your vaccination voucher and ID (passport, driver's license, health insurance card are among the acceptable IDs)
• Make sure you have filled out your vaccination questionnaire (though you may fill it out at the venue)
• Wear clothes that would make it easy to receive a shot

What kind of underlying conditions would allow you to be prioritized for vaccination? 

• Chronic respiratory illness
• Chronic heart disease, including high blood pressure
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic liver disease
• Diabetes patient treated with insulin and other medication, or diabetes patient suffering from another illness
• Blood disease (but not anemia)
• Illness that would cause lower immune system, including ongoing treatment of a malignant tumor
• Those being treated with steroids and other forms of treatment that causes a decreased immune system
• Neurological and neuromuscular diseases associated with immune abnormalities
• Decline of physical function caused by a neurological disorder or neuromuscular disease
• Chromosomal disorder
• Having both severe physical and mental disorder
• Sleep apnea syndrome
• Those hospitalized/treated for severe mental illness or have been granted by local municipalities as having a long-term mental disease
• Those with BMI (body mass index) of 30 and higher.BMI = Body weight (kg) ÷ height (m) ÷ height (m)

Who should not get a vaccine shot?

• Those who have a fever
• Those who are suffering from an acute disease
• Those who have a history of having severe allergic reactions such as anaphylactic shock
• Those who are deemed unfit by a physician to be vaccinated

Can those who were infected with COVID-19 get the vaccine?

Yes, but they may need to wait a certain period of time before getting the shot.

What do you do after you arrive at the vaccination venue?

1. Show your identification (driver’s license, health insurance card or passport are viable)
2. Submit medical questionnaire (best to fill it out in advance)
3. Get your initial diagnosis (to check your health condition)
4. Get vaccinated (approximately takes 1-2 minutes)
5. Receive vaccination certificate, which will be needed for the second vaccination
6. Rest for 15 minutes to monitor your post-vaccination condition

Who can get vaccinated? 

Those who are older than 12. Municipalities will be sending out vaccine vouchers based on the residency registration. If you are not registered (foreign residents who just arrived in Japan may fall into this category) or want to be inoculated in a municipality other than where you are registered, contact your local municipality office.

Is it free? 

Yes.

What will be the order of the vaccine rollout?

1. Medical workers
2. Elderly people (65 or older, or those who were born on or before April 1, 1954)
3. Those with underlying medical conditions or workers at elderly care facilities. Those with underlying illnesses do not need to submit a doctor’s note or medical certificate to prove their conditions.
4. Everyone else

How many shots will I get?

Basically, two shots. For the Pfizer vaccine, the first and second shot will be three weeks apart. For the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines, which were both approved in May, the first and second shots should be 28 days apart. For the time being, AstraZeneca vaccine will not be used to vaccinate the population.

What are the common side effects? 

According to the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), side effects include pain in the arm where it was vaccinated; fatigue; headache; sore muscles; joint pain; fever; chills; and diarrhea. Most of the symptoms should subside within a few days of vaccination.
In rare cases, vaccine recipients can suffer from a severe allergic reaction called anaphylactic shock, which, in most cases, occurs soon after the vaccination. Therefore, those who get inoculated are asked to stay on at the venue for 15 minutes, or about 30 minutes if you have suffered from allergic reactions in the past, to make sure they can be treated immediately if anything happens.

Can people choose which company’s vaccines they receive?

Yes and no. There is only one type of vaccine available at each venue. Therefore, you won’t be able to choose which vaccine you prefer at the vaccination site.
But since it is clear which vaccination site offers which type of vaccine -- Pfizer or Moderna -- you can make reservations at the venue which offers the one you prefer.
For instance, municipality-run large-scale vaccination centers and local clinics use Pfizer shots while SDF-run sites and workplaces and universities use the Moderna vaccine.
More information can be found (in Japanese) on Japan’s health ministry website.

Research by Eriko Yamakuma