Japan Records Over 400 Measles Since Start of 2026

(MENAFN) Japan has logged more than 400 measles infections since the start of the year, health authorities warned Friday, with case numbers already far outpacing those recorded across the entirety of 2024 and alarm bells ringing over the country's vaccination gaps among younger populations.

The Japan Institute for Health Security reported that medical facilities nationwide registered 68 new measles cases in the week ending April 26 alone, pushing the year's cumulative total to 436. The figures represent a dramatic spike compared to the 96 cases documented over the same period last year — a year that closed with a full-year tally of just 265.

The outbreak is striking hardest in the capital. Tokyo has accounted for 211 cases so far this year — nearly half of the entire national count. When the surrounding prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama are factored in, the greater Tokyo metropolitan area has collectively surpassed 300 confirmed infections.

A notice issued by the institute in late April revealed a troubling demographic pattern: the majority of domestic measles patients this year are teenagers and individuals in their 20s, with approximately half having either failed to complete the recommended two-dose vaccination schedule or possessing unclear immunization histories.

To place the current trajectory in context, Japan's highest annual measles caseload over the past decade peaked at 744 in 2019 — a benchmark that this year's figures are now on a credible path to approaching or exceeding.

The institute sounded the alarm over measles' extraordinary contagiousness, noting that more than 90 percent of individuals without immunity are likely to contract the virus upon exposure. In severe cases, the disease can escalate into life-threatening complications including pneumonia and encephalitis.

The resurgence is particularly striking given that the World Health Organization declared Japan measles-free in 2015. That status has since come under sustained pressure, as global measles cases have been climbing steadily since 2023, raising the risk of imported infections entering the country.

The institute stressed that completing two doses of the measles vaccine remains the single most effective shield against infection and serious illness. It also urged travelers bound for countries or regions where measles is circulating to verify their vaccination status before departure.

Those experiencing symptoms including fever, skin rash, persistent coughing, or redness of the eyes were advised to contact a medical institution before presenting in person — and to proactively inform healthcare providers of any recent international travel or known exposure to infected individuals.

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