Japan's benchmark Nikkei added 0.2% in morning trading to 28,381.13. South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.3% to 3,147.23, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 inched up less than 0.1% to 7,031.50. Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.9% to 28,217.82, while the Shanghai Composite lost 0.4% to 3,473.43.
The uneven rollout for the vaccines against COVID-19 remains a factor for regional markets. Although vaccinations have gradually started in Japan, for medical professionals and the elderly, a separate effort to inoculate people at different sites began Monday. So far, about 5% of the population has gotten at least one shot.
The Nasdaq slid 0.5% to 13,470.99. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fared better, gaining 0.4% to 34,207.84. The Russell 2000 index picked up 0.3% to 2,215.27. Analysts have also said investors are looking further ahead, beyond the recovery, and are wary about potential tax changes and the impact they may have on growth. Also on investors' minds is Bitcoin, whose pricing has turned choppy lately.