How Baby Vaccines Work in Japan (MMR + Chickenpox at 12 Months)

Описание: Come with me as I take my 12-month-old to get vaccinated in Japan!
Today, she received her live vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and chickenpox. I’ll walk you through the process—filling out the questionnaires, bringing the 母子手帳 (boshi techo, mother-child health handbook), and preparing for possible side effects like fever the next day.

In Japan, most vaccines are free, but mumps isn’t obligatory. We had to pay 1,000 yen with ward support. Why? In the 1990s, the combined MMR vaccine was linked to an outbreak of aseptic meningitis, so now mumps is voluntary.

If you’re a parent in Japan (or just curious about Japanese healthcare and parenting), I hope this gives you some insight into how vaccines work here.