Vaccinations
Vaccination is one of the effective ways of preventing illnesses or diseases and we recommend students be up-to-date on routine immunizations of polio, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox and Hepatitis B. In light of the 2007 outbreak of Measles in the Kanto region, we would like to emphasize the importance of ensuring you have had the measles shot. The outbreak largely affected those aged between 10 and 30 years of age. Even today, for every 1,000-2,000 measles patients, one is diagnosed with measles encephalitis for which there is no effective treatment; and full recovery expectations are only at 25%. Even in cases where patients avoid death, they may still suffer from heavy subsequent complications. The only way to prevent measles is by vaccination.
It is strongly recommended for the following people to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
- People who have never had measles and have never been vaccinated.
- People who have never had measles and were vaccinated only once during infancy and childhood.
- People who have low immunity as shown by an antibody test are also recommended to take the vaccination.
People who are diagnosed with measles must stay at home for 3 days after the fever has resolved and contact their teachers/supervisors/office or the Health Care Center before attending school or returning to work.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Hokkaido University Health Care Center at 011-706-5345.
