Hello and welcome to the Intelligence from the Economist. I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

Every weekday we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

In just about every country, the elderly proportion of the population is growing, but Japan has

long been ahead of the curve. We look at how the country is changing its thinking about

the old and what lessons the rest of the world can draw from it.

And Mormonism counts among the most centralized religions. Even though international missionary

work is key to the faith, it remains resolutely based in the American state of Utah. That

is making for us struggle to retain its converts abroad.

At first, the Omacron variant has been putting a huge strain on hospitals, and presidents

and prime ministers have pleaded with the unvaccinated to get their jobs.

You haven't gotten vaccinated, do it. Come forward and get your boosted. It's a fantastic

thing to do.

But some leaders are tired of waiting. On Sunday, France's National Assembly approved

a vaccine passport, required for entry to restaurants, transport, and other public spaces.

A manual Macron had promised to piss off the under-enorculated, suggesting vaccination

was a duty that comes with citizenship.

Yesterday, Greece introduced a vaccine mandate on people over 60. Italy already has one

on over 50s. And last week, America's Supreme Court approved President Joe Biden's

decree that staff at government-funded healthcare facilities be vaccinated, though it rejected

a blanket mandate for large employers. But Austria is set to outdo them all. This week,

its legislature will pass a requirement that all adults get their jobs or face heavy

fines. Over the weekend, in Vienna, tens of thousands of people protested against the

...