Travel to Japan: (<8 Weeks) begin on 10/02/2023
Please, note that vaccination prescription for travel to Japan varies depending on what areas you are going to visit. It is best to speak to your doctor to find out the optimal and necessary vaccinations.
Recommended Vaccination to be taken
Influenza
Various
15 µg haemagglutinin of 2 current influenza A and 1 influenza B strains
0.5 mL
Single dose
As different strains circulate from year to year, annual vaccination with the current formulation is necessary.
Tetanus, diphtheria (dT)
- pertussis (dTpa)
ADT Booster
Boostrix
or
Adacel
≥20 IU tetanus toxoid, ≥2 IU diphtheria toxoid
≥20 IU tetanus toxoid, ≥2 IU diphtheria toxoid, purified antigens of B. pertussis
0.5 mL
0.5 mL
Provides protection for 10 years.
Providing pertussis (as well as tetanus and diphtheria) immunity is preferred.
Vaccination advised in Special Circumstances
Japanese encephalitis
JE-VAX
Inactivated Japanese encephalitis virus
1 mL
0, 7, 28 days
Boosters at 3-yearly intervals.
Hepatitis B
Engerix-B
H-B-VAX II
20 µg hepatitis B surface antigen protein
10 µg hepatitis B surface antigen protein
1 mL
1 mL
0, 1, 6 months, or
0, 1, 2, 12 months,or
† 0, 7, 21 days, and 12 months
0, 1, 6 months
A completed series probably gives life-long immunity.
Backpackers may encounter significant travel risks through:
accidents
short-cuts brought about by limited budgets
cheap, potentially risky food
rural or basic accommodation
high-risk destinations
a generally risky lifestyle
Accidents
Backpackers put themselves at increased risk of accidents due to:
cheap hire car or motorcycles
adventure sports, trekking and exploration
consumption of alcohol and other substances
poorly maintained heating in cheap accommodation
Accidents not only cause physical injury but also hepatitis B may be contracted from poorly sterilised medical products encountered in emergency care.
Food and drink
Backpackers often eat in roadside or budget restaurants where hygiene standards cater to locals and not tourists. Similarly, budget accommodation can carry risks from contaminated water or food.
Adventure travel and remote trekking may mean consuming local food and water. It is essential to take sterilising kits. Basic precautions are essential – ensure food is thoroughly cooked or can be peeled and avoid salads, cold foods and ice.
Sexual behaviour
Backpacking provides freedom and a vigorous social scene, which may lead to sexual relationships and an increased risk to the backpackers health. Staying with local people for long periods may also increase the chance of sexual contact with them. Condoms should always be used and immunisation against hepatitis B sought before travel. Commercial sex workers are a particularly high-risk form of sexual contact.
Psychological pressures
Travelling alone can bring a sense of isolation, loneliness and depression. Soft drugs such as cannabis can cause psychological side-effects and in countries where supplies are cheap and plentiful alcohol abuse can also cause problems.
Malaria prophylaxis
Prophylaxis needs to be comprehensive and flexible. Long trips make mefloquine or doxycycline the most suitable drugs. When travelling to remote areas standby treatment also needs to be discussed.
Immunisations
Planning is important as backpackers will often need complicated schedules of multiple immunisations. These will need to be comprehensive and to take into account unplanned changes to itineraries, which are common as backpackers meet up or form new links. Rabies immunisation is often particularly important, especially when travelling through remote regions. Backpackers who plan prolonged rural travel, particularly in certain seasons, may also need immunisation against meningitis or Japanese B encephalitis.
Travelling alone
There are more than just health risks for backpackers travelling alone and backpackers should aim to travel in pairs or more if possible.
Staying in simple rural locations
Travel to rural locations can carry an increased risk of disease, particularly when combined with rustic accommodation.
Risks associated with rural travel overseas
Increased risk of transmission of diseases via livestock or wild animals. Rabies is a particular risk.
Access to medical care may be reduced and travellers may struggle to get hold of even simple medications.
Travellers to rural locations often stay longer than visitors to cities – and the more prolonged the exposure, the greater the risk of infection.
Basic accommodation often fails to protect travellers against biting insects.
Staying in close contact with locals can increase the risk of contracting diseases.
Water may be drawn from wells or rivers too close to communal latrines.
Contaminated food can also be a problem, particularly in areas that use night soil (human faeces) as fertiliser. Travellers may have to adapt to local diets and these may not be suitable.
Rural roads can be extremely hazardous. They are often full of pot-holes and used by unlit lorries at night.
Local condoms may be of poor quality or impossible to obtain.
Measures
Travellers should conduct a thorough assessment of measures for medical and prevention needs well before travel.
Visitors to rural areas should consider vaccination against diseases such as rabies and Japanese encephalitis which may pose a particular risk.
Malaria prophylaxis and yellow fever vaccination may be particularly important.
Travellers should take a well-stocked medical kit with a good supply of basic medications, bandages and condoms.
They should take water purification tablets – and ensure water for washing food is purified as well as water for drinking.
They should take measures to reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes, especially while sleeping, using a mosquito net, repellent and burning mosquito coils.
A dental check-up should be had before travel, as basic dental work can carry a risk of hepatitis B or even HIV.
Travellers should think carefully about travelling the roads at night.
Tags: Vaccines travel Japan, Travel vaccines for Japan.
