BCCJ Vaccinations Update as of June 21

*UPDATE: The BCCJ team is now supporting members to access COVID-19 vaccinations / around 250 members received their first vaccination dose on June 22*

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While Japan’s COVID-19 vaccination roll out is evolving, the BCCJ team is working to understand the extent we can usefully and effectively contribute to the response to the public health situation.

BCCJ Vaccinations Survey – an update

In order to further enable us to understand the thinking and position of BCCJ members regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, we delivered the BCCJ Vaccinations Survey (June 16-17, 2021).

The purpose of this survey was for the BCCJ to understand how many member companies might be interested in joining forces to access vaccines for employees and families, under the Japanese government’s Occupational Innoculation scheme.

Among questions in the Survey, we asked:

Which of the following best describes your company’s current position on vaccinations in Japan? We plan to . . .

• Partner with a local clinic or hospital, or medical outsourcing firm, to vaccinate employees at company location.
  (No criteria for minimum / maximum # of patients.)
• Apply to become an Innoculation Centre under Government of Japan’s Occupational Innoculation scheme (starting from 21st June).
  (Need to arrange venue, medical personnel, and data management for 1000 “patients” which could include employees and families.)
• Be vaccinated in an Innoculation Centre arranged by our company’s landlord.
  (e.g. Mori Building)
• Encourage employees to receive vaccination in venue designated by local authority.
  (Need vaccination coupon from local authority of residence; timing and venue differs, depending on municipality. e.g. Minato-Ku will send out vaccination coupon on June 28 and vaccinations will begin on July 5.)

The Survey also asked:

Would your organisation be interested in collaborating with other BCCJ member companies, and / or companies from other chambers of commerce – to support Japan’s vaccination roll out?

What’s next?

We currently understand that approximately 22 BCCJ member companies might wish to join forces in support of Japan’s vaccination roll out.

The BCCJ team are now following up with those 22 companies who via the Vaccinations Survey have expressed an interest in “buddying up”, to confirm their final anticipated numbers of “patients” – including employees and family members.

Our BCCJ mission around Japan’s COVID-19 efforts is to facilitate for our members a route to vaccination that could ensure that they and their family members have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by the beginning of the Tokyo Olympic Games (July 23, 2021).

Meanwhile, we are very pleased to see that Japan’s public vaccination programme is continuing apace.

International Chambers of Commerce in Japan: Vaccination Coalition

The BCCJ is actively corresponding with 14 other international chambers of commerce in Japan, on the “Vaccination Coalition”, an information-sharing and resource-pooling initiative.

With thanks to the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) for compiling this list of COVID-19 vaccination resources.

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