Rubella spreading across Japan, raising concerns about inbound travel

It's hard to believe that Rubella is still so widespread in Japan when in most civilised countries it is all but eliminated altogether. The tragedy is the effect it can have on pregnant women and their children.

This group has been unvaccinated all their lives. I wonder why the outbreak has only occurred now.

They can take a half day from work and get vaccinated or the company can give them a paid day off. But I guess sitting in front of their computers and pretending to look busy while waiting for the big boss to go home is far more important than thinking about the well being of pregnant women and their children.

I don't like Japanese vaccinations, they seem quite unorganized and those with the 9 dots leave a deep scar when kids grow up. I don't remember seeing that back home.

Pretty shocking to see something like this in the year 2018. We are not living in the 1960's

Sister-in-law is newly pregnant, I'm pretty sure I was vaccinated as a kid but husband is probably in the cohort who wasn't. My prefecture is offering free antibody tests and partially subsidized vaccines to women of childbearing age and those who live with them. Hubs and I going to make sure/get it again before meeting her over New Year's.

This disease has been wiped out in most modern countries. Japan has a vaccination program, so why hasn't it been wiped out here too? I blame the pre-millennial generation of idiots who rebelled against vaccinations and are still doing it today. I'm sure their idiotic point of view would change very quickly if one their kids got polio or diphtheria. Vaccinate your flipping kids people!

@papigiulio

the vaccination which leaves scars behind is a for tuberculosis vaccination, in most countries tuberculosis is gone but it still exists in Japan as far as I heard.

The Tb vaccine has been proven to be ineffective. There was a study done in India and 60% of fries vaccinated still got TB.

However, the rubella vaccine is effective and only the idiots who are not vaccinated are responsible for the spread of this disease.

. Japan has a vaccination program, so why hasn't it been wiped out here too? I blame the pre-millennial generation of idiots who rebelled against vaccinations and are still doing it today. 

Disillusioned - it is quite clear why it has not been wiped out in Japan, but you do need to read the article.

Do the hustleToday  08:41 pm JST

The Tb vaccine has been proven to be ineffective. There was a study done in India and 60% of fries vaccinated still got TB.

Can you supply a source for your TB claim? In countries where the TB vaccine is given out as standard, the disease has been pretty much wiped out. With regards your comment about it being "proven" - if it had been so then it would no longer be administered to children. That is all I need to know to reject your claim. However, you are clearly not an anti-vax oddball, given that you recognise the rubella vaccine, so I wonder where you got this information.

Regarding TB: even if true, 40% effective is better than 0% effective.

Rubella is measles, right? Oh me, I hope people get vaccinated properly, and quick!

Rubella is German measles, not measles.

This disease has been wiped out in most modern countries

It's hard to believe that Rubella is still so widespread in Japan when in most civilised countries it is all but eliminated altogether.

Cases of measles in Europe have hit a record high, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

More than 41,000 people have been infected in the first six months of 2018, leading to 37 deaths.

Last year there were 23,927 cases and the year before 5,273. Experts blame this surge in infections on a drop in the number of people being vaccinated.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-45246049

An amendment from Italy's anti-establishment government that removes mandatory vaccination for schoolchildren is sending shock waves through the country's scientific and medical community.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/07/health/italy-anti-vaccine-law-measles-intl/index.html

The net result of refusing to be vaccinated is disease. How anyone thinks they have the right to send their unvaccinated kid to school to endanger other people's kids is beyond me. At least Japan is beyond that at this point.

A number of US states allow parents to opt out of vaccination on religious grounds.

In most countries tuberculosis is gone but it still exists in Japan as far as I heard

According to the US Center for Disease Control 9,105 cases of TB were reported in the US in 2017.

https://www.cdc.gov/features/burden-tb-us/index.html