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MMR Vaccine Returns to Japan After 30 Years
11 May
Summary
- Japan approved domestic manufacturing and sales of the combined MMR vaccine.
- A new MMR vaccine with a lower incidence of aseptic meningitis was approved.
- This vaccine's approval follows increased calls for routine mumps vaccination.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has approved the domestic manufacturing and sales of a combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. This marks the vaccine's reintroduction to Japan for the first time since 1993. Daiichi Sankyo developed the live, weakened-virus vaccine.
The combined MR vaccine for measles and rubella is currently part of Japan's routine vaccinations, but the mumps vaccine is voluntary and costly. The newly approved MMR vaccine aims to reduce the number of injections and patient burden. A previous MMR vaccine was withdrawn in 1993 due to aseptic meningitis, an adverse reaction.
This new vaccine reportedly has an extremely low incidence of aseptic meningitis. Complications from mumps, including hearing loss and encephalitis, have led to calls for routine mumps vaccination, especially after a 2015-2016 outbreak. The vaccine is already standard in over 120 countries.
