Start of COVID vaccinations in Japan offers hope to Tokyo Olympic organisers

Japan launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign Wednesday, months after or major ecomies started giving shots and amid questions about wher drive would reach eugh people quickly eugh to save a Summer Olympics alrey delayed by pandemic.

Tokyo organising committee held a joint press briefing with International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) after ir meeting about COVID-19 countermeasures.

Despite a recent rise in infections, Japan has largely dodged kind of cataclysm that has battered or wealthy countries' ecomies, social networks and health care systems.

But fate of Olympics, and billions of dollars at stake, makes Japan's vaccine campaign crucial.  torch relay is to begin March 25 in rastern Japan and will crisscross country with about 10,000 runners.  relay ends in Tokyo with opening ceremony of Olympics on July 23. Several polls have shown about 80% of Japanese think games should be canceled or postponed.

Im: AP