Chloe Ramirez
In 2025, a rumour began to spread online that Japan had stopped vaccinating all children under 24 months, leading to a 96% drop in infant mortality. This claim is false. In 1994, Japan amended its immunisation law to make vaccinations voluntary rather than mandatory. However, the country continues to recommend vaccinations for children under two years old, and it has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world for certain childhood vaccines.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Did Japan cease vaccinations in children under 24 months? | No, this is a false claim. |
| What happened in 1994? | The Immunization Act was amended to make vaccinations voluntary rather than mandatory. |
| What are Japan's vaccination rates for children? | Japan has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world for certain childhood vaccines. In 2021, the country recorded a 95% immunization rate against measles and a 99% immunization rate against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. |
| What are the recommended vaccines for children under 2 years in Japan? | The Japan Pediatric Society recommends several vaccines for children under 2, including polio, tuberculosis, measles/rubella, and others. |
| What is the infant mortality rate in Japan? | As of 2020, Japan had an estimated infant mortality rate of 1.8 per 1,000 live births, the joint fourth-lowest rate in the world. |
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What You'll Learn
- Japan did not cease all vaccinations for children under 24 months in 1994
- Vaccinations were made voluntary, not mandatory
- The Japan Pediatric Society still recommends vaccinations for children under 2
- Japan has high childhood vaccination rates
- There is no evidence linking vaccinations to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Japan did not cease all vaccinations for children under 24 months in 1994
In 2025, a rumour began to spread online that Japan had stopped vaccinating all children under 24 months in 1994, leading to a 96% drop in infant mortality. This claim is false. Japan did not end all vaccinations for children under two years old in 1994. Instead, it amended its immunisation law to make childhood vaccinations voluntary rather than mandatory.
The Japanese government has continued to recommend a vaccination schedule for children, including those under two years old, consistent with the guidelines of the Japan Pediatric Society. This schedule recommends certain vaccines as soon as birth and others as soon from two months old. It closely resembles the vaccination schedules of other countries, including the US and those in the European Union.
Japan has high childhood vaccination rates. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 2011 and 2022, 96% to 99% of babies received the three doses of the pneumococcal vaccine that are recommended between the ages of 2 and 4 months. In 2021, the country recorded a 95% immunisation rate against measles and a 99% immunisation rate against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. According to the Japan Pediatric Society, several vaccines are recommended for children under the age of two, including against polio, tuberculosis, measles/rubella and others.
There is no evidence that Japan's immunisation policy is linked to its declining rates of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). According to a study, the decline in SIDS in Japan between 1984 and 2004 can be attributed to public health campaigns that discouraged putting infants to sleep face-down and other known SIDS risks, such as maternal smoking.
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Vaccinations were made voluntary, not mandatory
In 1994, Japan amended its immunization act to make childhood vaccinations voluntary, not mandatory. This change stemmed from lawsuits against the government due to cases of aseptic meningitis in children who had received the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. As a result, the Japanese government withdrew its recommendation for the MMR vaccine in 1993. However, it is important to note that Japan did not stop vaccinating children under 24 months old or cease all mandatory vaccinations.
Even after the 1994 amendment, Japanese authorities maintained a recommended vaccination schedule consistent with the Japan Pediatric Society's guidelines. This schedule recommends certain vaccines as early as birth and others as soon as two months old. It is similar to vaccination schedules in other countries, such as the United States and European Union nations. Furthermore, Japanese localities provide an incentive for parents to follow the recommended schedule by covering the cost of vaccines for families who adhere to it.
Japan has high childhood vaccination rates, and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 2011 and 2022, 96% to 99% of babies received the three doses of the pneumococcal vaccine recommended between the ages of 2 and 4 months. Additionally, in 2021, Japan recorded a 95% immunization rate against measles and a 99% immunization rate against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. The Japan Pediatric Society continues to recommend vaccinations for children under two years old, including against polio, tuberculosis, and measles/rubella.
While Japan made childhood vaccinations voluntary, it is important to note that the country still encourages and promotes vaccination. The high vaccination rates and recommended schedules from authoritative medical bodies demonstrate Japan's commitment to protecting its young population through immunization.
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The Japan Pediatric Society still recommends vaccinations for children under 2
In 1994, Japan amended its immunization law to make vaccinations voluntary rather than mandatory. Despite this, the Japan Pediatric Society still recommends vaccinations for children under two years of age. The Society's recommended vaccination schedule, updated in 2020, includes several vaccines for children under two, including those against polio, tuberculosis, and measles/rubella. This schedule closely resembles those of other developed countries, including the US and those in the European Union.
Japan has consistently maintained high childhood vaccination rates. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that between 2011 and 2022, 96% to 99% of babies received the three doses of the pneumococcal vaccine recommended between the ages of 2 and 4 months. In 2021, the country recorded a 95% immunization rate against measles and a 99% immunization rate against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Japan has higher vaccination rates than the US for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, and measles.
The Japanese Pediatric Society's recommended vaccination schedule is supported by Japanese authorities and incentivized at the local level. If parents follow the recommended schedule, localities cover the costs of vaccines for families. This incentive ensures that families adhere to the schedule and helps maintain high vaccination rates in the country.
The claim that Japan ceased all vaccinations for children under 24 months is false. While vaccinations are no longer mandatory, the Japan Pediatric Society continues to recommend vaccinations for children under two, and Japan maintains high vaccination rates for this age group. Furthermore, there is no evidence linking the country's immunization policy to declining rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Public health campaigns discouraging risk factors such as putting infants to sleep face-down and maternal smoking are credited with reducing SIDS rates.
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Japan has high childhood vaccination rates
In 1994, Japan revised its vaccination law to make childhood vaccinations voluntary rather than mandatory. Despite this, Japan still has high childhood vaccination rates. In fact, Japanese children are vaccinated at around the same rate, or in some cases, a higher rate, than American children. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, in 2022, 99% of Japanese children had received at least one dose of the DTaP vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, and pertussis), compared to 98% in the US. In 2021, Japan's vaccination rates for the first dose of the measles vaccine and rubella were around 95%, compared to 92% in the US.
Japan's childhood vaccination rates for certain vaccines are among the highest in the world. For example, in 2021, Japan recorded a 95% immunization rate against measles and a 99% immunization rate against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Additionally, between 2011 and 2022, 96% to 99% of babies received the three doses of the pneumococcal vaccine, which is recommended to be given between the ages of 2 and 4 months.
The high vaccination rates in Japan are achieved through a voluntary system. Japanese authorities maintain a recommended vaccination schedule that is consistent with the recommendations of the Japan Pediatric Society. This schedule suggests certain vaccines as soon as a child is born and others as soon as they are two months old. Localities in Japan also implement incentives to encourage parents to follow the recommended schedule. If parents follow the schedule, the localities cover the cost of the vaccines. However, if parents veer from the schedule, they become liable for the cost.
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There is no evidence linking vaccinations to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
In May 2025, a rumour began to spread online that Japan had stopped vaccinating children under 24 months, leading to a 96% drop in infant mortality. This claim, however, was false. Japan did not end vaccinations for children under the age of two. Instead, it made them voluntary rather than mandatory. Japan has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world for certain childhood vaccines, with a 95% immunisation rate against measles and a 99% immunisation rate against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis in 2021.
The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) database was analysed to determine the onset interval of infant deaths post-vaccination. Of the 2605 infant deaths reported from 1990 through 2019, 58% occurred within 3 days of vaccination, and 78.3% occurred within 7 days. This confirms that infant deaths tend to occur in temporal proximity to vaccine administration. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that there is no causal relation between the DPT vaccine and SIDS. The evidence is consistent with the expected occurrence of SIDS over the age range in which DPT immunisation typically occurs.
While there may be concerns about a potential link between infant deaths and vaccinations, health authorities have emphasised that "prophylactic vaccination" is not an official cause of death. Medical examiners are, therefore, compelled to classify and report vaccine-related fatalities under alternate cause-of-death classifications. Overall, the weight of evidence suggests that vaccinations do not cause or contribute to SIDS, and public health campaigns focusing on safe sleep positions and reducing risk factors have been credited with the significant decline in SIDS cases.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Japan did not cease all vaccinations for children under 24 months. In 1994, Japan amended its immunization law to make vaccinations voluntary rather than mandatory. However, the Japan Pediatric Society still recommends vaccinations for children under two years old, and Japan has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world for certain childhood vaccines.
The Japan Pediatric Society recommends several vaccines for children under two, including against polio, tuberculosis, measles, and rubella. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that between 2011 and 2022, 96% to 99% of babies in Japan received the three doses of the pneumococcal vaccine recommended between the ages of 2 and 4 months.
No, there is no evidence of a link between Japan's immunization policy and its infant mortality rate. In fact, data shows that vaccines prevent infant deaths. Japan's infant mortality rate is also not the lowest in the world, nor does the US—which vaccinates infants—have the highest.
Yes, there are concerns about gaps in the rubella and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. In 1993, Japan withdrew its recommendation for the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine due to reports of serious aseptic meningitis following the vaccination. However, the subsequent incidence of aseptic meningitis in unvaccinated patients contracting natural mumps was higher than when the vaccine was administered.
