Concerns Growing over Measles Outbreak in Japan

From Jiji

March 13 2024

TOKYO – Concerns are growing that measles infections may become widespread in Japan as many other countries have been hit by outbreaks.

This year’s number of reported patients in Japan had reached 11 as of Monday, already surpassing the full-year numbers for 2020 to 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As measles cannot be prevented only by washing hands or wearing a mask, medical experts stress the importance of receiving routine vaccinations given under law.

Patients develop symptoms similar to those of cold some 10 days after getting infected, which are followed by a high fever and a rash.

Symptoms appear in almost 100 pct of those not immune to the measles virus. The disease kills one in 1,000 infected people even in developed countries.