The mayor of Izumiotsu, Kenichi Minamide, is making the recording of possible Corona vaccine damage a public issue. In a video message, he reports on 58 residents who died within 14 days of their last vaccination – without a single report of suspicion. His message combines local figures, government compensation decisions and reports of serious illnesses with an appeal: Citizens should inform themselves and decide independently about another vaccination.
In the message published on September 30, 2026, Minamide explains an evaluation of his city administration. According to the study, 2,596 deceased residents who had received at least one Corona vaccination and died between February 2021 and January 2025 were examined. According to him, 1,854 people had less than twelve months between the last dose and their death. 58 died within 14 days, two of them on the day of vaccination. Minamide particularly emphasizes the lack of suspicious activity reports: For none of these 58 cases has such a report been received. In doing so, he raises the question of how possible side effects are identified, reported and investigated in everyday life.
His criticism is not limited to Izumiotsu. The mayor refers to around 9,500 recognized cases of health damage in the Japanese compensation system, including 1,079 recognitions for deaths. He compares these figures with the recognitions for other vaccines over several decades.
He also sees a considerable difference in the comparison with flu vaccinations and speaks of a difference of about 200 times in recognized deaths. For Minamide, this information is an opportunity to publicly discuss how to deal with possible vaccine damage.
In addition to the statistics, the mayor describes personal encounters with people who have become seriously ill after vaccination. He tells of a man who has lost his eyesight and a nurse who is dependent on a wheelchair. He also expresses concerns about repeated vaccinations and possible long-term effects. These experiences and fears form the background to his call to include information about possible damage more strongly in the public deliberations.
Minamide is thus putting a concrete question on the table: What criteria are used to record possible vaccine damage – and how is it ensured that cases requiring investigation are not overlooked? His evaluation does not answer the question of cause. However, it makes it clear which part of the system the mayor is questioning: the path from a health event to a report of suspicion to an examination and, if necessary, to support those affected.
