Infection and Vaccination

November 9, 2022

Hokesen News Letter, No 232 October 31, 2022
Health Care Center, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Yasuhiro Yamauchi, MD, PhD

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the end of new corona infections is in sight worldwide, and in Japan, we have also overcome the 7th wave, and society is about to move into the COVID-Era. Let us continue to adopt infection control measures in our daily lives and live together in the COVID-Era.

As we enter the winter season, it is important to continue infection control measures as there are indications of a possible concurrent epidemic with influenza. It is also desirable to actively incorporate COVID vaccine and influenza vaccination as countermeasures against infectious diseases. It is also advisable to purchase antigen detection kit and antipyretic analgesics in case of sudden fever or illness, and to check your local COVID hotline consultation centers and nearby medical facilities.

We assume that you have already increased your medical knowledge of "vaccines" through the new corona vaccination, but we would like to once again provide information on vaccines and infectious diseases in order to increase vaccine awareness from the viewpoint of preventing infectious diseases. For an overview of vaccines and their expected effects, please refer to HOKESEN Newsletter No. 218 (June 8, 2021) and No. 227 (April 27, 2022).

We are surrounded by so many pathogens that when we become infected with them, we are affected in one way or another. While some pathogens may cause only mild symptoms, others may cause serious and often life-threatening conditions, sometimes even fatal. They can also cause long-term disability due to complications and aftereffects.

However, there are many infectious diseases for which there is currently no proven treatment, and even if they are treated, not all of them are cured, and as mentioned above, the aftereffects can persist and in some cases can be fatal. Vaccines have been developed for these high-risk infectious diseases, so vaccination against vaccine-preventable diseases is considered important. Moreover, since there are some infectious diseases for which vaccines have not yet been developed, and since adverse reactions may occur with vaccination, it is important to take measures to prevent infection by eliminating the route of infection.

Since it is possible to guess which infectious diseases are most likely to infect people depending on the environment in which they live, it is important to take measures to avoid contracting or becoming seriously ill with infectious diseases by preventing them with vaccines, and people may be required to protect themselves from infectious diseases from their living environment through mass immunization. After recovery from COVID-19, the disease has resumed worldwide as COVID-Era, so it is important to review your own vaccination records in preparation for study abroad and travel. We urge you to check your own vaccine records in your Maternal and Child Health Handbook. For more information on vaccines and infectious diseases, please refer to "Vaccines for Overseas Travel" on the website of the Quarantine Information Office of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Japan (https://www.forth.go.jp/useful/vaccination.html) or the Infectious Disease Surveillance Center 「Vaccination Page」 of the (http ://idsc.nih.go.jp/vaccine/vaccine-j.html), etc. for reference. Also, please keep your Maternal and Child Health Handbook in a safe place for future reference

If you have any questions, please consult with the Health Care Center, TUFS.

References:
Ministry of Health. Labour and Welfare: Comprehensive measures for influenza in Winter 2022 https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/index2022.html
Leaflet in preparation for a concurrent pandemic (Headquarters for the Promotion of Countermeasures against COVID-19 Infections, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
Quarantine Information Office of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Japan (https://www.forth.go.jp/useful/vaccination.html)
Infectious Disease Surveillance Center 「Vaccination Page」
http://idsc.nih.go.jp/vaccine/vaccine-j.htm