Photo/Illutration Homeless people line up at a park in Tokyo's Toshima Ward to register for a COVID-19 vaccination. (Honomi Honma)

To immunize a segment of the population that has fallen through the cracks, support groups and local governments in Tokyo are working together to vaccinate homeless people against COVID-19.

Under the government's vaccination program, vaccine documents have been mailed to all residents to receive two jabs free of charge. But many homeless people have not received the documents because they have no permanent domicile.

The health ministry has asked local governments around Japan for flexible measures to issue the vaccine documents to the homeless and find other ways to confirm the identities of those who may not be in government records.

On the evening of Oct. 30, about 70 people lined up for their shots near a park in Tokyo's Higashi-Ikebukuro district. The Toshima Ward government in Tokyo cooperated with Medecins du Monde Japan and Tenohasi, two groups that have provided support for homeless people, to offer the jabs. 

Among those in line was a 57-year-old man who said he walked three hours to get his shot.

The man has been a day laborer for about two years and often spends the night at an internet cafe in Ueno. His physical condition is weak and he also has a pre-existing medical condition, which puts him at a higher risk of severe illness if he contracts COVID-19. 

“I was desperate to come here because I felt if I missed this opportunity I would never be vaccinated,” the man said.

He smiled after receiving the jab and said, “I am thankful even though I feel the vaccination was slow in coming.”

The Toshima Ward government began issuing the vaccine documents from June for those without a proper residence record or personal ID. It has so far issued vaccine documents to about 100 people.

Until now, the ward government had instructed homeless people to go to the vaccination centers set up for ward residents.

The program near the park was the first outside of such venues.

The ward government asked the support groups to hand out fliers about the special vaccination site so homeless people would know where to go.

The ward government has taken the word of those seeking the vaccine documents regarding their name and birthdate even if they didn't have an ID.

There are believed to be about 860 homeless people living in the capital as of January.

The Taito Ward government has used another method for confirming the identities of those without an ID. When the vaccine document is handed out, individuals are asked to provide their name, birthdate as well as other information that only they would know, such as their parents' names and where their family register is located.

The same information is asked for again when the individual comes to get a jab to confirm the person’s identity.

The Taito Ward government used that method to provide two doses to about 85 people by early October.

The Shinjuku Ward government normally conducts free health checks every year for homeless people. This year, the ward also gave those individuals the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time.

While more homeless people are receiving the shots, support groups are also bracing for an expected sixth wave of COVID-19 cases.

Atsuko Imagawa, who heads Asile, an organization that provides support to homeless people, pointed out that the homeless have nowhere to rest and recover if they become infected with the novel coronavirus.

Imagawa, 58, a doctor of internal medicine, said, “I want local governments to secure facilities where homeless people can go when another explosion in new infections makes it difficult to find a place in a hospital or a hotel to recuperate.”

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