Japan ramps up mass vaccinations in Tokyo and Osaka amid Covid surge

Japan has kicked off a mass vaccination programme in Tokyo and Osaka, as the Covid crisis worsens. 

The military has set up centres offering thousands of shots each day, prioritising the elderly. About 1.9% of the population is fully vaccinated.

Japan's efficient healthcare system has been increasingly overwhelmed by the latest surge, with some hospitals running out of beds and ventilators.

It has led to mounting public pressure to call off the Tokyo Olympics in July.

Large parts of Japan are currently under a state of emergency to give regional authorities more power to enforce measures against the pandemic. 

The country has recorded more than 700,000 infections and 12,000 Covid-19 deaths from the virus.

The mass vaccination drive is run by Japan's defence forces and is scheduled to stretch over the next three months. 

Officials are planning to vaccinate up to 5,000 people in Tokyo and 2,500 in Osaka every day with the recently approved Moderna jab, while in June and July this capacity is set to double. 

Mass vaccination facilities are also planned for other major cities like Kobe and Nagoya.

Authorities hope that by the end of July, people aged 65 and above will have completed their vaccinations.