Japan kicks off COVID-19 vaccination drive

Japan launched its COVID-19 inoculation drive on Wednesday by administering Pfizer Inc's vaccine shots to Tokyo hospital workers, TV footage showed, as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga aims to defy the odds and hold the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

After vaccinating the initial group of 40,000 medical workers, Japan plans to move to the remaining 3.7 million medical personnel who come into contact with COVID-19 patients, and then to the 36 million people aged 65 or above.