Japan began administering COVID-19 booster shots to health care workers nationwide on Wednesday as the country braces for the potential impact of the omicron variant, a concerning new strain of the coronavirus that scientists worldwide are scrambling to research.

Five doctors and 13 nurses at the state-run Tokyo Medical Center in Meguro Ward received their third jabs Wednesday morning. The hospital¡¯s director, Kazuhiro Araki, who got the shot, said he feels relieved that the rollout began as scheduled.

Medical personnel at Tokyo Medical University¡¯s Hachioji Medical Center and some hospitals in Aichi and Saitama prefectures, among other facilities, also received their third shots.