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Health ministry warns of rubella vaccine shortage due to outbreak

24 Comments

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has warned that there is likely to be a rubella vaccine shortage later in the year.

The ministry this week announced that 359 new cases of rubella were reported throughout Japan in the week ending June 30, according to figures provided by the Infectious Disease Surveillance Center. Fuji TV reported Thursday that the figures bring the total number of cases reported nationwide this year to 11,991. The number of infections reported this year so far is already over five times the annual total for 2012.

As a result, it is expected that a vaccine shortage will occur in August, the ministry said. However, a spokesperson said that production of the drug is being ramped up in an attempt to make supplies last until October.

In an attempt to alleviate the impending shortage, the ministry is urging the public to apply for vaccinations only if they are pregnant or are living with a pregnant woman.

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24 Comments
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It would help if children got an MMRV shot when they are babies! Japan is not a 3rd world country and there is no excuse for not having enough of the vaccine available! Shame on the Health Ministry for this one!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Hope they don't export rubella (German measles) overseas.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Another case of preventable diseases increasing due to people not vaccinating.... Come on Japan (and every other developed nation experiencing the same), you can do better!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Yubaru - The combined MMR is banned in Japan, but the individual versions have always been available.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Japan must hate kids. The Ministry of Heath allows children to get rubella, teachers tape 7 year old's mouth to prevent the spread of germs, and hardly anyone is having babies.

There is a travel Alert from the CDC on this.

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/rubella-japan

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Yubaru - The combined MMR is banned in Japan, but the individual versions have always been available

It was only banned within the past 5 to 10 years or so, all three of my children received it when they were babies!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yubaru: Agreed on the baby thing, but the government banned it after several children became sick (maybe died?) from the side effects of the vaccination. It's odd that they would stop it flat out as a result, given that it's proven to be effective, but that's what happened. My guess is that they're going to rethink the current guidelines on said vaccination. For now, they can only try and limit who gets it for the remaining vaccine, and/or try to import from a nation with a surplus.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

MMR doesn't exist anymore but MR (measles/rubella) is still a free vaccination here.

The article doesn't say but I wonder who's getting the virus - adults or kids?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Rubella obviously still exists and is a dangerous disease. The low vaccination rate is due to misinformed parents who really believe that the vaccine is more dangerous than the disease. The "side-effects" issue is very touchy - here's what the US CDC says, but of course you can't convince "true believers" in the dangerous conspiracy.... "Several other severe problems have been reported after a child gets MMR vaccine, including: Deafness Long-term seizures, coma, or lowered consciousness Permanent brain damage. These are so rare that it is hard to tell whether they are caused by the vaccine."

And this is also a problem in parts of the US where moonbeam moms get together, like my former hometown.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It was only banned within the past 5 to 10 years or so, all three of my children received it when they were babies!

The triple vaccine was banned in 1993. After that they dropped the legal requirement for kids to be immunized against both measles and Rubella.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So what is Rubella called in Japanese ?????

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Elbuda.

It is called 風疹(Fusin).

Surprised you don't know after living and working with your family in Japan.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Surprised you don't know after living and working with your family in Japan.

It's easily done! My two went through the whole gamut of childhood lurgies, and each time I had to check in the dictionary whether the spots they'd brought home were due to measles, German measles, fifth disease, chicken pox, impetigo or what. They're all basically infectious rashes and fever that keeps the kid off school.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The shortage has been caused by a big demand from adults (mostly men) who never got vaccinated and are now worried about getting the disease. Some hospitals have started to import vaccines directly. To blame the Japanese government is not really fair, but I suppose that's what some people enjoy doing.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

So if this was the result of banning and or non mandating children vacc then it is the govs fault

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Steve Fabricant: You're out of line, and I believe in other cases just plain wrong. Of all the people I know who have recently rushed to get the vaccine (or family members of those I know) every single one save one has been a young woman, either pregnant or considering having a child in the near future. The one who was not young was indeed afraid of getting it, though I don't really know why since the biggest dangers of Rubella are for those who are pregnant (and that's toward the fetus).

In any case, you quote the US CDC and 'moonbeam moms' (paranoid parents) as being the reason the Japanese government stopped and that it's "not fair" to blame the Japanese government, and yet despite these complaints and paranoia existing as you say in the US the MMR shot is still mandatory, whereas in Japan it was stopped due to pressure. So you CAN blame the Japanese government, at least to an extent.

"The low vaccination rate is due to misinformed parents who really believe that the vaccine is more dangerous than the disease."

Wrong. It's due to the shot not being mandatory, and a general lack of information, not misinformation, which is different. If you want to argue general apathy towards immunization until it (Rubella in this case) becomes a serious problem then I'm with you.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

David, yes, you could say that, but the government responded to pressure, lawsuits, etc. from people who were concerned about side-effects. So it is true that they caved and therefore lagged some other countries in vaccination coverage. The current situation is due to the longstanding policy of only vaccinating the older girls, who would be the ones at risk of congenital birth defects if pregnant.. Obviously this policy failed, but you can probably identify many other fialed policies that were later corrected - the continually lowered blood alcohol level for drivers comes to mind. Let's hope they change the policy on MR now.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Biggest side effect, mass infections

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Steve: "Obviously this policy failed, but you can probably identify many other fialed policies that were later corrected - the continually lowered blood alcohol level for drivers comes to mind."

And in all said situations the government takes some of the blame. The reasons do not matter as much as the fact that the government buckled, as they do all the time, to the slightest of pressure. They put potential votes and convenience ahead of safety and common sense, be it rescinding bicycle safety laws because mamas don't like it, lowering blood alcohol levels as you point out, or banning vaccinations that work because of pressure from a few people. They made the decision to stop -- they are therefore largely to blame.

"Let's hope they change the policy on MR now."

Agree with you there.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I guess you can't please both the people who think the government is too "nanny" and those who say it buckles too quickly to peoples' wishes. As I mentioned, some shots are "mandatory" for school entrance in the USA but that doesn't make it impossible to avoid them. I'm not trying to say that one is better than the other (as long as the policies aren't designed primarily for corporate interests.) These things sometimes take time to catch up with scientific evidence, and, BTW, when I referred to lowering blood alcohol levels I meant they became more restrictive, not less. (Here the Govt giveth and taketh away by also allowing beer commercials on family shows - how crazy is that??). And now if they would pay serious attention to tobacco I'd be more pleased than anyone.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Steve: I'm with you on the smoking front, and am all for making alcohol laws more restrictive (as they have, although they don't enforce it too terribly well). The nit-picking is not about a 'nanny state' vs. buckling too easy, but that you said the government is not to blame (or rather, it's not fair to blame them), when in fact they are (at least in part).

"As I mentioned, some shots are "mandatory" for school entrance in the USA..."

As I mentioned, actually, after you quoted the reasons the US CDC gave that makes the moonbeam moms in your old neighbourhood paranoid (thus insinuating the reason behind the Japanese government banning the MMR shots).

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Since no one seems to have had first-hand experience, let me contribute my two cents...

My daughter (19) is at home recovering from "fuushin." She's American and moved to Japan during her elementary years AFTER getting all the standard immunization shots the typical adolescents receive in America INCLUDING MMR/Rubella. I checked after I heard the diagnosis from the physicians here since I kept all her medical records since birth. Sure enough, she'd been vaccinated.

So the point is, it may not matter! You can still contract this version of measles even with the typical U.S. precautions.

Wash your hands and gargle regularly. Take frequent showers during this hot season, do your laundry and practice common sense hygienic procedures. And even despite your best efforts, if you're susceptible and contract it; stay home, out of direct sunlight, and keep yourself from spreading the virus,... 'kay?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My daughter (19) is at home recovering from "fuushin." She's American and moved to Japan during her elementary years AFTER getting all the standard immunization shots the typical adolescents receive in America INCLUDING MMR/Rubella. I checked after I heard the diagnosis from the physicians here since I kept all her medical records since birth. Sure enough, she'd been vaccinated.

MMR is a two stage vaccination if I remember correctly so if your daughter only received the first of the two shots she would still have been at a higher risk of contracting the disease.

So the point is, it may not matter! You can still contract this version of measles even with the typical U.S. precautions.

It depends upon which VERSION you refer too. Which strain is more appropriate I do believe, the only "versions" of viruses are on computers and I highly doubt your daughter is a virtual girl!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

And my child got the (free) booster when he was in high school. The paper was sent from city hall to all high schoolers - at least it was about four years ago. When right to the doctor and got that booster. German measles and pregnancy are not things to fool around with.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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