Society

Child virus infections in Japan remain high amid low vaccination rates

Aug 22 (Japan Today) - Coronavirus cases among children remain high amid a seventh wave of infections in Japan, with the weekly number of new cases for the age group hitting over 300,000 at one point, doubling the peak hit during the sixth wave earlier this year.

However, the vaccination rate for 5- to 11-year-olds has been sluggish, with the health ministry in response stepping up its calls for parents to actively consider inoculation from a public health perspective.

Though new infections have begun to decline, figures have remained high, amounting to some 288,900 as of the week ending Aug 12, forcing the closure of over 100 nursery schools and other children's institutions nationwide, as well as some elementary schools prior to entering the Japanese summer break.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 104 nursery schools and similar institutions had closed as of Aug. 4 amid the seventh wave of infections.

This figure is far lower than the roughly 700 institutions that closed during the sixth wave between January and March, in part due to the adoption of more flexible responses to deal with the spread of the virus such as only suspending classes where positive cases are confirmed instead of entire schools.

Still, the speed of the virus's proliferation this time around has now prompted many institutions to close. ...continue reading

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