Japanese citizens rank among the top world leaders in the health of its citizens. They have the longest life expectancy and number of years in full health. The world health organization ranked Japan first in overall health among 191 countries in 2000. Despite this, Japan has a higher number of vaccine preventable disease (VPD) outbreaks, compared to other first world countries such as the United States.
This paper will examine the causes for lower vaccination rates in Japan from the 1970s till the present. The United States will be used as a standard for what the state of immunization should be in a first world country. I will attempt to show that the cause for these lower rates is due to a combination of government policies, public opinion, and a strong anti-vaccination group. I will also attempt to find solutions to these problems in order to increase immunization coverage of the county. …show more content…
Because of this, the government suspended the vaccine to the public. Two months later it was reinstated with an increase of the minimum recommended age from 3 months to 2 years. Yet public opinion of the matter fell dramatically and vaccination rates dropped. In 1979, cases of pertussis increased to 13,105 cases with 41 deaths. Japanese scientists were motivated to develop the first acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) that was approved in 1981. This version can be up to 85% effective versus the 78% effectiveness of the previous model. In later years, the rates fell back to pre-1975 values.
This is a bittersweet example of Japanese suspicion on immunization. Initially the ban caused lower vaccination rates and 41 deaths. Yet Japan did not simply discontinue the vaccine, they tried to improve it. Years later Japan successfully created an improved version and vaccination rates for the disease increased
This paper will examine the causes for lower vaccination rates in Japan from the 1970s till the present. The United States will be used as a standard for what the state of immunization should be in a first world country. I will attempt to show that the cause for these lower rates is due to a combination of government policies, public opinion, and a strong anti-vaccination group. I will also attempt to find solutions to these problems in order to increase immunization coverage of the county. …show more content…
Because of this, the government suspended the vaccine to the public. Two months later it was reinstated with an increase of the minimum recommended age from 3 months to 2 years. Yet public opinion of the matter fell dramatically and vaccination rates dropped. In 1979, cases of pertussis increased to 13,105 cases with 41 deaths. Japanese scientists were motivated to develop the first acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) that was approved in 1981. This version can be up to 85% effective versus the 78% effectiveness of the previous model. In later years, the rates fell back to pre-1975 values.
This is a bittersweet example of Japanese suspicion on immunization. Initially the ban caused lower vaccination rates and 41 deaths. Yet Japan did not simply discontinue the vaccine, they tried to improve it. Years later Japan successfully created an improved version and vaccination rates for the disease increased