Vaccinations for Tokyo in the summer?

Hey All!!

Im travelling to Tokyo this July and I was wondering if anyone has been to Tokyo around that time/will be going to Tokyo around that time and has had/will be recieving any vaccinations??

I have asked my GP (and have researched) and all i was told was that it is recommended BUT not vital, to have a Hepatitis B injection and an injection to fight Japanese Encephalitis which you can catch from a mosquito....although they also told me that the risq of being bitten in an urban area such as Tokyo in the summer is very very low. Is that true?? They also told me that even if i dont recieve the vaccination, then a good mosquito repellent will be good enough...is that also true?? Also are there alot of mosquitos in Tokyo??

So yeah, my question to you all is whether anyone has had to have these injections when travelling to Tokyo in the summer; or if anyone has travelled to Tokyo in the summer without having such vaccinations??

Thank you very much!! Sorry if the post was quite long!! lol (^_^)

You don't need to worry about anything like that in Japan. It's like worrying about getting West Vile Virus in the east coast in the US. You probably won't. Just enjoy your trip and have fun, Japan is a first world country.

Your GP should have advised that a vaccination for Japanese Encephalitis is only necessary if you're traveling in the Southern, rural areas of Japan during the summer months for longer than a thirty day period. Otherwise, the risk is negligible, so just make sure you have had a tetanus shot in the last ten years and your Hepatitis A and B vaccinations as they are all recommended for any international travel.

Hey!

Thanky you for your reply!!!

Ahh really?? So i assume you've been to Tokyo in the summer without having such vaccinations...right?? lol and you were fine??

Do you know if there are alot of mosquitos in tokyo in the summer?? If there arent i will be soooo happy cause i hate any type of bugs and i dont wanna have to be constantly avoiding them and worrying about being bitten! lol

doumo!! (^_^)

I have lived in Japan for 12 years, so I have spent 12 summers here, and no, you don't need any vaccinations- this is a developed, modern country, just like the US, Europe, Australia etc, you don't need to worry about things like that.

Don't be fooled by the name "Japanese encephalitis"- it has not been a problem in Japan for decades and there is no reason whatsoever to have the vaccination.

Hepatitis B is only recommended for travellers to any country if you plan to be visiting prostitutes or sharing needles with the local populace, which I assume you aren't?

Many doctors really don't know about travel vaccinations unless they are specialists in travel medicine, so they recommend unnecessary jabs just to cover their own butts basically.

The hepatitis A vaccine though is recommended for travellers anywhere- you can get that disease in your home country quite easily, so it's worth having the vaccination, but not just for Japan.

I'm afraid that another thing your doctor is wrong about is the chance of being bitten by a mosquito- Tokyo has loads of mosquitoes in summer, it gets very hot and humid here from late June on, and July is the middle of the rainy season, so the chances of mosquito bites are actually very high. I recommend bringing repellent, you can buy coils here easily if you want to.

Hi. Yes the others are correct that you will not need any vaccinations. I have had the Japanese encephilitus vaccination but I live in Japan and could travel to the country regions where it IS possible (though unlikely) to catch it.

I decided to take this injection as I am a mosquito MAGNET -summer in Tokyo is like a living hell for me :( I am absolutely coevered in vicious bites and itchy for months it is horrible :( I've even been to the doctors as the bites have become infected and they said they had never seen so many bites and so sever a reaction- thus they also recommended the vaccination. I now wear special bracletes and cover all my skin with repellent during the mosquito season.

If you are susceptible to bites I would recommend taking some repellent with you! Have a nice time :)

Hey all!! (^ o ^)

Thank you for your detailed responses!! Very much appreciated!!

Nah i wont be visiting any type of prostitutes of brothels neither will i be sharing any needles!! loool!!

Ahhh i see, so i wont be needing the vaccination eh...so i take it the disease is virtually non-existant in Tokyo right?? HOWEVER, i did notice that you all did say that there are a VERY VERY HIGH concentration of mosquitoes in Tokyo....therefore isnt the chances of being bitten and possibly catching the disease even greater??? Eeks!! (-__-)

Also, how likely is it that you will see a mosquito flying around if just walking on the streets of Tokyo?? Will you see them everywhere?? E.g. if i were just strolling dowm Shibuya

I get sooo worried about these types of things....lol

itsumo arigatou!!! (^__^)

Dezzy,

I have lived in Tokyo for 12 years and never heard of anyone catching Japanese encephalitis, and no-one here is vaccinated against it either. You have more chance of winning the lottery, honestly, so don't give it another thought. As I said above, don't be fooled by the name- just because it is called "Japanese encephalitis" doesn't mean that it is common in Japan in the 21st century. I know the person above said they had the vaccination, but I think it was entirely unnecessary. Even in the countryside it is extremely rare.

You probably won't see any mosquitoes in Shibuya. Just like in almost any other country, in parks and gardens or near any still water like ponds though you might see them. Bring some repellent if you are worried about being bitten, but please stop worrying about diseases that you have no chance of catching and start looking forward to your holiday!

Hey Sira!!

Thank u very much for your extremely kind and again informative reply!

Yeah i guess you're right...my sis also says the same thing! lol

Okay, so mosquitoes would most likely be lingering around parks and ponds...got it!! Yup i shall DEFINITELY take mosquito repellent!! lol

I am sooooooo looking forward to my trip to Tokyo!! Especially since im studying really hard for my Uni exams so it will be a great thing to look forward to afterwards!!!

Thank you again Sira!!!!!!!!

(^ o ^)