Japan. Schedule and about mumps v.

[Guest guest]

HERE IS A LIST OF THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDED VACCINATIONS

IN TOKYO, JAPAN

Here is a list of the government provided vaccinations

in Tokyo, Japan (free), all finished before four years

old. I don't know what happens after the child enters

first grade, but I know that many health initiatives

are implemented through the school system. So if a

child does not go to a Japanese school he/she may not

receive the same services that a typical Japanese child

would.

Tuberculin skin test : about 4-5 months after birth

Tuberculosis immunization (BCG) : a couple of days

later (4-5 months after birth). This one looks really

odd, twice the childs arm is punctured with a very fine

array of 9 prongs and the immunization is rubbed in.

Then after a day you can't hardly see anything happened

but about a week later all 18 punctures become quite

noticeable again. It takes 1 to 1.5 years for these

marks to recede.

Polio (oral polio vaccine) : two step - first at about

one year old and second at 6-7 months later

Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus combination (DPT) : four

step - (first term) first shot at about 7-8 months old,

second shot a month later, third shot a month later,

(2nd term) fourth shot at about 2 years old

Measles : at about 16-17 months old

Rubella : at about 20 months old

Japanese Encephalitis : three step - first shot at

about 3 years old, second shot exactly one month later,

third shot 6 months later (in other words to be

finished in about a 7 month period)

------

In Japan, vaccines are classified by law into two

categories, regular (teiki sesshu) and optional (nin-i

sesshu) ones. Regular ones are offered by Japanese

municipalities for free for certain age groups.

Optional ones are not required by law to be provided,

and thus are not free.

Mumps vaccine is an optional vaccine. Japanese cities

and towns do not offer mumps vaccine, but still your

child can be vaccinated in Japan, if you find a doctor

who is willing to give a shot. But this is not always

easy.

In 1989, Japan started a new MMR (measles-mumps-

rubella) vaccine. In 1993, just four years later, it

was withdrawn from the market, because the mumps

component (Urabe strain) had an unusually high rate of

a side effect. Although it was mild aseptic meningitis

(with spontaneous healing) and occurred much less

frequently in vaccines than in real mumps (1/11,000 vs

1/200), the outcry was loud.

The currently available vaccine in Japan for mumps is

new and should be safer. Some doctors have longer and

bitter memories, some have skepticism, but others still

have faith in vaccines.