Japanese vaccinations and practices, with particular attention to polio and pertussis

This article introduces Japanese vaccinations and practices, focusing on polio and pertussis. Japan is one of the few industrialized countries still using live attenuated oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). Current status of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis in Japan is discussed. This review is intended to encourage early conversion of OPV to inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) for the routine vaccination as soon as possible. The other topic pertains to the results of a study designed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the Japanese DPT vaccine in adults when administered at the dose of 0.2 ml (2/5th of the ordinary dose). In Japan, there is no system for providing advice to adults on vaccination once the childhood schedule is completed. The author, however, wishes to propose here that if the currently approved DPT vaccine can be better utilized as Tdap, we may improve the means for disease prophylaxis.