Vaccine chronicle in Japan

Abstract

The concept of immunization was started in Japan in 1849 when Jenner’s cowpox vaccine seed was introduced, and the current immunization law was stipulated in 1948. There have been two turning points for amendments to the immunization law: the compensation remedy for vaccine-associated adverse events in 1976, and the concept of private vaccination in 1994. In 1992, the regional Court of Tokyo, not the Supreme Court, decided the governmental responsibility on vaccine-associated adverse events, which caused the stagnation of vaccine development. In 2010, many universal vaccines became available as the recommended vaccines, but several vaccines, including mumps, zoster, hepatitis B, and rota vaccines, are still voluntary vaccines, not universal routine applications. In this report, immunization strategies and vaccine development are reviewed for each vaccine item and future vaccine concerns are discussed.

Updated data on effective and safe immunizations with live-attenuated vaccines for children after living donor liver transplantation

“…Although the immunization strategy in Japan was underdeveloped, recent strategy is improving remarkably, including the introduction and/or routine immunization of Haemophilus influenza type b, pneumococcal conjugate, rota virus, and human papilloma virus vaccines [24,25]. In October 2014, two doses of varicella vaccine became routine immunizations instead of voluntary ones.…”

Change of Subcutaneous Tissue Mass at the Deltoid and Thigh Areas in Japanese Infants Followed from 2 to 15 Months

“…Therefore, 18 images at 3 and 4 months, 16 at 5 and 6 months, and 18 at 12 -15 months were analyzed. The target months of age were selected according to the recommended immunization schedule for infants by the Japan Pediatric Society [1]. Body weight, height, and the circumferences of the upper arm at the center of the deltoid muscle and middle position of the thigh were measured.…”

“…Pneumococcal (PCV13) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines were introduced into recommended immunization in 2010 and 2016, respectively. These alum-adjuvanted vaccines are administered from two months of age [1]. They are administered intramuscularly (IM) in most countries, but subcutaneously (SC) in Japan.…”

Persistence of Antibodies against Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, and Poliovirus Types I, II, and III Following Immunization with DTaP Combined with Inactivated Wild-Type Polio Vaccine (DTaP-wIPV)

“…IPV (IMOVAX POLIO ® , Sanofi Pasteur Limited, Lyon, France) was licensed in April 2012, and was introduced in the market for routine immunization in September 2012. Diphtheria and teta-nus toxoids combined with acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP), together with IPV from live Sabin strains (DTaP-sIPV), were licensed by 2 manufacturers in Japan (4). Polyvalent combined vaccines are currently used throughout the world and DTaP together with Salk-type inactivated polio vaccine(DTaP-wIPV) has been used as a basic vaccine (5,6).…”