Although Japan recorded the world's highest rate of COVID-19 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccination doses per capita, (3.3 doses, 0 -8)

COVID-19 cases and deaths exploded after the emergence of the Omicron variant,

(despite more than 80% of the population having been fully vaccinated)

followed by a significant increase in excess deaths in 2022 and 2023.