Japan to begin accepting applications for vax passports

Tokyo, July 12 Japan will start accepting applications for vaccination passports from July 26 for people who have been fully inoculated against Covid-19 for international travel, a top government spokesman said.

Whether to use such certificates for domestic economic activities as business circles request is under consideration by the Japanese government, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on Sunday, adding that people should not be discriminated against or forced unfairly due to whether they have been vaccinated or not, reports Xinhua news agency.

The vaccination certificates will be official records issued by municipalities.

It will show information about an administered vaccine, the vaccination date and location, and personal information such as name and passport number.

Kato has said the certificates will be issued in paper form by the end of July, and the digital ones will be considered later.

The country's largest business lobby, the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren, has suggested using the certificates for raising event attendance caps and for restaurant discounts.

The vaccination certificates have also been introduced in the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for international travellers from their member states.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's government is stepping up the vaccination rollout in Japan.

The program started in February with healthcare workers and expanded to those aged 65 or older from April.

Recently, inoculations for people under 65 have begun in some municipalities, and companies can apply vaccines for their employees.

However, some municipalities are forced to restrict accepting reservations due to a recent supply shortfall of vaccines, and new applications by companies have been suspended.

Suga has said that his goal is to complete inoculations for all eligible people in Japan who want to receive vaccines by November.