Japan is currently in the middle of its "Golden Week" long holiday, but a rapidly escalating measles outbreak has become a significant health threat for travelers to Japan. As of mid-April, the cumulative number of infections nationwide had already surpassed 299, exceeding the total of 265 cases for all of last year. According to the latest statistics, cases in the first 16 weeks of this year have reached 362, surpassing last year's full-year total. Hong Kong residents traveling to Japan or already there should check their immunity before departure and consider getting a booster shot if necessary.
According to statistics from the Japan Institute of Public Health (JIHS), the top six areas for cumulative measles cases this year are:
When calculated by reported cases per million population, Kagoshima Prefecture has the highest rate, with Tokyo second. New cases this week are highly concentrated in the Kanto region. Of the 57 new cases reported this week, Tokyo accounted for 40, with the remaining sporadic cases in Kagoshima, Kanagawa, and other areas.
According to comprehensive Japanese media reports, measles spreads through the air and is far more infectious than the flu. Dr. Osamu Inoue, an infectious disease specialist at Yamanashi University, warns: "People without immunity who are in the same space as a measles patient are almost certain to be infected." Typical symptoms include high fever, rash, and increased eye discharge. Hong Kong travelers themselves, if without immunity, could not only contract the disease but also potentially bring the virus back to Hong Kong. "If you have been vaccinated and have sufficient immunity, even if the virus enters your body, you won't get infected," Dr. Inoue stated. "However, in cases in Yamanashi Prefecture, the patients were all people whose history of having received two vaccine doses could not be confirmed."
Professor Tsuyoshi Terashima from Tokyo Dental University points out that the measles virus is extremely contagious, with one infected person potentially spreading it to 12-14 others, compared to influenza which typically spreads to only 2-3 people. More dangerously, measles can easily lead to severe complications such as pneumonia. Even in developed countries, about 1 in 1,000 patients dies.
Professor Terashima particularly warns of a very troublesome sequela of measles called "immune amnesia." The measles virus attacks and resets the immune system, causing the body to lose its pre-existing ability to fight other pathogens. After a measles infection, recovered individuals are more susceptible to influenza, pneumonia, whooping cough, and other diseases. This temporary state of immune deficiency can last for several years, having long-term effects on health.
Hong Kong has included the measles vaccine in its childhood immunization program since 1967. Government surveys show vaccination rates remain above 95%, which should provide a herd immunity barrier. However, the Department of Health reminds that the first dose of the measles vaccine is only given at 1 year of age. Therefore, infants under 1 year old and pregnant women without measles immunity should not travel to areas currently experiencing an outbreak. For Hong Kong residents planning to travel to Japan, the safest approach is:
According to the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection, measles is highly contagious, mainly transmitted through airborne droplets. Direct contact with an infected person's nasal or throat secretions can also transmit the disease. Patients are contagious from 4 days before to 4 days after the rash appears.
Measles Symptoms:
Sources: YBS News, Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection
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