Japan to offer free rubella vaccinations to combat outbreak

20 years ago might have been better. But anytime is the right time.

Why only now and only for 3 years. All vaccinations should be free, forever.

These vaccinations should have been done when they were in junior high. I know they do have a vaccination program, but obviously they are not thorough enough to get everybody. People have a societal responsibility to get themselves vaccinated against serious contagious diseases.

Fantastic timing! I just dropped 10,000 JPY on a MR vaccine last week. [Although being a foreigner, who knows if I would have qualified for the subsidy.] I received the vaccine as a kid, but out of a abundance of caution my wife asked me to get tested for resistance, and sure enough it seems like the resistance wore off over the decades. Well, I'm now re-vaccinated, but with a little lighter wallet. Beats getting sick though.

How does a foreign person living in Japan get their free vaccination ?

How does a foreign person living in Japan get their free vaccination ?

I don't think they even announced when they are starting it. All the articles just say starting next year.

How does a foreign person living in Japan get their free vaccination ?

be sure you health insurance payments are up to date, classify in the age bracket then ask your city office for doctors that adminster the test and if its not free , how much?

People need to know what the hell is in the vaccine -- after all, it is being injected into their bodies!

 I just dropped 10,000 JPY on a MR vaccine last week.

Can I assume you meant MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella)? They are given all at the same time here, typically speaking anyway, and they are not cheap either, considering that vaccinations are usually free, or low cost with insurance.

The government created this problem by taking Rubella off the list of mandatory vaccinations and look what happened!

Interesting, as a man in this target group. Where I am from only teenage girls were vaccinated as MMR wasnt a common shot back then for babies. I had rubella when I was 4, so thought it didnt matter that much anyway. However when I was at University there was a huge outbreak of rubella among men only during exam time and I caught it again. Bad thing was the University A- holes cut us no slack and there were scores of unhappy spotty guys taking exams. That one still rankles with me, feverish, irritable and forced to take a math exam.....So since I have had the measles, mumps, rubella twice and chicken pox as a kid....I will take my chances that I am immune enough....touch wood.