Society

33 percent of parents in Japan delayed vaccinating kids due to coronavirus fears

Jul 09 (Japan Today) - About a third of parents in Japan postponed vaccinating their children during the coronavirus pandemic amid fears of catching an infection, a survey by a nonprofit organization showed Monday.

A total of 33 percent of parents in the survey delayed having their children vaccinated, with some citing how they refrained from going out due to the state of emergency, in place from early April through the end of May, to prevent the spread of the virus, according to the NPO, Know VPD! Protect Our Children.

VPD refers to Vaccine Preventable Diseases. The group promotes a range of vaccinations for children to protect them from diseases such as hepatitis B, measles and polio.

"Guardians have not been well informed that vaccinations are not considered nonessential," the organization said, urging parents not to shy away from getting vaccines.

By putting it off, the children may end up facing a delay in their vaccinations or not getting vaccinated at all, the group said.

The online survey was conducted between May and June among 1,089 people who have children of up to senior high school age.

According to the study, a total of 67 percent of parents had their children vaccinated during the pandemic as scheduled, while over 30 percent had delayed them. Of the latter, 17 percent answered they had eventually rebooked the vaccinations, while 16 percent said their children had yet to be vaccinated.

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