Mosque as a vaccination site for ethnic minority in Kanagawa, Japan: leaving no one behind amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Mosque as a COVID-19 vaccination site in collaboration with a private clinic: A short report from Osaka, Japan

Ethnic minorities are vulnerable to disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccination strategies that do not leave ethnic minorities behind are required. This is a report on the use of Osaka Islamic Center, a mosque, as a group vaccination site for an ethnic minority group in Osaka, Japan, from August to September 2021. We aimed to discuss (1) the process of turning the mosque to a vaccination site, (2) the linguistic and religious considerations made, and (3) the reasons people got vaccinated at the mosque. We interviewed stakeholders and vaccine recipients in December 2021. The survey shows that the mosque administrators voluntarily collaborated with a private clinic to become a vaccination site after learning of another mosque that had undertaken a similar venture. On the day of the vaccination, the mosque administrators' experiences with a large vaccination site informed the smooth operation of the site. They made linguistic considerations (i.e., having volunteers fill out medical questionnaires and administrators aid in language interpretation) and religious considerations (i.e., dividing the space and time of vaccination according to gender) for foreign Muslims. In particular, linguistic considerations were favorably accepted by vaccination recipients and were considered a factor that encouraged them to get vaccinated. The mosque also linked unvaccinated people to the clinic even after finishing vaccination at the mosque, suggesting that it may have played a role in ensuring they were not left behind. This case is expected to stimulate activities performed in mosques and by ethnic minority groups in future disasters.

COVID-19 vaccination at a mosque with multilingual and religious considerations for ethnic minorities: A case study in Kanagawa, Japan

During a disaster, such as a pandemic, ethnic minorities tend to be left behind due to linguistic and religious differences. In the COVID-19 vaccination process, measures to include them are necessary, including the utilization of their resources and networks. The functions and challenges of such measures should be explored in real-world cases. We targeted a case in Ebina, Kanagawa, Japan, where a mosque, being a hub of foreign Muslims, was used as a vaccination site. This was the first, and the only, case in Japan with the involvement of the local government. We aimed to detail (1) the linguistic and religious responses at the mosque, (2) the perceptions of vaccine recipients regarding linguistic and religious issues and considerations, and (3) the problems that arose when using the mosque. We conducted an e-mail survey of the local government and a field survey-field observations and interviews with relevant stakeholders (e.g., mosque managers and female vaccinees). The surveys found various linguistic (e.g., interpretation by mosque-related volunteers) and religious (i.e., separating vaccination spaces based on gender) considerations provided at the mosque, which the vaccinees favorably accepted. The measure likely promoted vaccination by increasing the intention to vaccinate and closing the intention-behavior gap. If some identified problems (e.g., complaints from the Japanese) are mitigated, the function of the mosque as a vaccination site would be further enhanced. The results also support the significant potential of mosques in Muslim-minority societies to approach ethnic minorities in disasters, including pandemics.