60 Percent of Japan’s Elderly Prefer Phone to Book Vaccinations

From Jiji Press

May 31 2021

TOKYO – A private-sector survey has shown that 63 pct of the elderly prefer using the telephone to book their COVID-19 vaccinations while 37 pct like the internet and the Line messaging app better. 

In fact, however, a majority of the elderly who had already reserved their vaccine shots used the internet and the Line app, according to the survey, conducted by Tokyo-based election research company Green Ship Co. on May 23.

“There are lots of elderly citizens who want to use the telephone, which they are familiar with, to make their reservations,” a Green Ship official said.

The phone-based survey covered 1,650 people aged 65 or older across Japan, of whom 14 pct had already been inoculated against the novel coronavirus, 44 pct had made reservations for their vaccinations and 42 pct had not made reservations yet.

Of the respondents who preferred the telephone to make their reservations, 57 pct wanted to make phone calls by themselves while 6 pct said they would ask their family members or acquaintances to call on their behalf.