The following is the gist of interpellations at the Lower House budget committee meeting on Feb. 15, 2021:

Vaccines

Hideki Murai (Liberal Democratic Party): How is the government preparing to administer vaccines?

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga: We need to swiftly build a system which allows all the people to be vaccinated without feeling worried. We want to start vaccinating medical workers on Feb. 17.

Minister in charge of administrative and regulatory reform Taro Kono: We have built a system in which doctors and nurses can respond to possible serious side reactions.  

Mitsunari Okamoto (Komeito): I want the prime minister to be the first to be vaccinated.

Suga: It is the government’s responsibility to deliver accurate information based on scientific knowledge, including side reactions and effectiveness, in an easy-to-understand way. I am a senior citizen, so I am willing to be vaccinated when my turn comes.

State of emergency declaration

Murai: When will the declaration be lifted?

Suga: We are clearly seeing the effects of the declaration. We should steadily reduce the number of cases by taking more thorough measures.

Kenichi Hosoda (Liberal Democratic Party): How about resuming the “Go To Travel” campaign first in areas not covered by the emergency declaration?  

Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Kazuyoshi Akaba: We’d like to carefully consider the idea. (Abridged)