Japan's health ministry says coupons required for receiving coronavirus vaccination will first be issued to senior citizens.
Municipalities plan to start sending out coupons to seniors from mid-March. An individual's name and a serial number will be printed on the coupon. The holder can be inoculated free of charge by presenting the coupon at a vaccination site.
As a general rule, vaccines will be administered in the municipality where an individual is a registered resident. But some exceptions are allowed.
Exceptions include expectant mothers returning to their hometowns, people living away from their families due to their jobs, students living away from home, and victims of domestic violence or child abuse.
Also included are people in hospitals, those with underlying conditions who will be vaccinated by their primary care physician, disaster victims, people in police custody, inmates, and others acknowledged by local governments.
If a person wishes to be vaccinated in a different municipality, the individual needs to file a request with the municipality in advance.
The request can be mailed in, submitted directly to municipal offices, or made through the health ministry website. The request needs to be submitted during the designated period for each individual. This procedure may be exempted in some cases.
Foreigners living in Japan can receive the coronavirus vaccine at the municipality where they are registered as residents. Once eligible, the government will mail out notices outlining how to get inoculated, free of charge.
