PRESS CONFERENCE

Japan's Vaccine Challenges 
Ken Ishii, Professor, Division of Vaccine Science, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo　

14:00-15:00 Friday, June 18, 2021
The speech and Q & A will be in English

Japan's slow progress in rolling out Covid-19 vaccines has been one of the biggest news stories of 2021. Although the pace of inoculations has increased recently, Japan still lags behind most advanced countries, forcing Tokyo to remain in a state of emergency and making the Olympics an ongoing threat to public health.

But why has Japan been slow to vaccinate? Putative explanations include Japan's troubled history with vaccines, dating back to class action lawsuits in the 1970s; its requirement for local clinical trials on foreign vaccines, which have delayed regulatory approvals; its relative success in controlling Covid-19 last year; and the weakness of its domestic vaccine industry.

To sort through these theories and explain the path ahead, the FCCJ has invited Ken Ishii, professor of vaccine science at the University of Tokyo, to come to the club. One of Japan's most distinguished vaccinologists, Prof. Ishii is an advisor to the government on Covid-19 vaccine development.

He will address questions such as the risk of "vaccine escape" by variants of Covid-19, the need for booster shots and how Japan can improve its vaccine development capability in the future. Do not miss this opportunity to hear from an expert.

How to attend: 
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited to 20 people. Doors open 30 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at the reception, and have your temperature taken before proceeding. 

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live 　
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel. 

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/3u7EZzntpwaUtE5j6　  　
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 45 minutes before the event. There will be five positions available for livestreaming. 

Professional Activities Committee