Blogs and Articles from Third Way Forum Membrs

・ As the situation and progress of the COVID-19 Vaccination is still in flux, the government guidelines are still not solid and clear.

・ In some countries, employees and workers are demanding not to come to the workplace unless everybody is vaccinated. Some government agencies and companies oversea are now mandating vaccination as a condition to keep working.

・ Taking vaccination does not mean that you no longer spread the virus. You may not fall fatally ill but can still spread the virus. These days it is reported that the third shot as well as following booster shots may be necessary for further prevention. So it is very difficult to define what it means by “fully vaccinated”.

・ In Japan, taking the vaccine is voluntary and there seems to be a certain number of people who do not want to get vaccinated just like in other countries. Some people have legitimate reasons such as medical conditions or religious belief etc. But there are many others who just don’t want to get it for whatever reasons. Their argument is often based on the fear of side effect, the fact that the vaccines were quickly developed and especially in Japan due to the cumbersome and difficult procedure to make an appointment.

・ Why it is so difficult to register for the vaccination appointment in Japan is a mystery and a big frustration. It must be due to too much bureaucracy where no one wants to take the leading responsibility to drive it.

・ Freedom of choice and protection of privacy are the two important considerations when we administer vaccination. That’s why we can not force people to take the vaccine and ask about it so much. It could be considered as “Vaccine Harassment” in Japan.

・ However, given the current seriousness of COVID-19 situation, maybe it is time to prioritize life safety above freedom of choice and privacy.

・ Everyone should have freedom of choice but it should not hurt other people’s life.

・ What business leaders could do today in this difficult situation would be as follows: offer employees the Work from Home option, ensure the basic safety guidelines are followed in case people come to the office, e.g. wearing a mask, washing hands and sanitizing the venue, and offer the fact sheet about the COVID-19 vaccinations such as benefits, possible side-effects, risk of not taking it etc.

・ Even if business leaders can not force people to take the vaccination, at least they can ask employees to make the decision and take the action quickly. If you are running a business, depending on the industry and the occupation, such as customer facing jobs etc, you probably should made a decision to mandate the vaccination for employees as a condition to keep doing their jobs.

・ Still many younger Japanese professionals are unable to get the COIVD-19 shot due to the slow bureaucratic procedure of their local governments. If your company can do something about it, such as securing enough amount of the vaccine for employees, opening the vaccination center for employees or letting them prioritize getting the vaccination by giving them extra holidays etc, it would be very helpful and could increase employee engagement.