Japan faces Olympian task with slow start to Covid vaccinations

With a vaccine-hesitant public and jabs yet to begin, there are fears immunisations are off the pace

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Japan was among the first countries to report cases of Covid-19 after the world was alerted to the virus in December 2019. But just over a year later, it is the last major economy to deploy a vaccine - a measure widely acknowledged as the best hope for a return to something resembling normal life.

The first round of jabs is not expected to begin in Japan until the end of February, months after the US and UK - which have recorded far higher death tolls and caseloads - began their vaccination programmes.