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Japanese boy died after receiving vaccination

By on October 31, 2012
Nikkei news reported on October 18, 2012 that a fth-grader, ten-year-old boy fell into an unconscious state after he was vaccinated with Encephalitis at the Hirata Aikawa Mino Children’s Clinic in Gifu prefecture.  The boy was conrmed dead two and a half hours later. The Seki Gifu prefectural police station was still investigating the autopsy on Oct. 19, 2012.  

According to the director of the clinic, Mr Masashi Hirata, the boy suddenly collapsed immediately after a 0.5 ml vaccine was inoculated on his left arm.  His younger sister, age 9, was vaccinated too but did not have a similar reaction.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare  has set a typical period of routine vaccination for Japanese Encephalitis twice between ages 3-4, once by  4-5 and once between 9-10.  The above incident was the boy’s rst inoculation.  

The Ministry reported that the incidence of death after a Japanese Encephalitis vaccination from October 1994 to March 4, 2011 was only 4.  

Tokyo Families asked Primary Clinic’s director,  Dr. Joe Kurosu, a U.S. citizen and a graduate of Yale Medical School licensed in Japan and the United States, for his medical opinion.  Here’s what he said:

“As for the death of the child after vaccination, it is difcult to comment as details are scant at this time. I only have information that is available via the media and internet. If this information is correct, he was apparently in cardiopulmonary arrest within ve minutes of the injection. Although a severe allergic reaction is always a possibility after any medication or vaccine, ve minutes would seem to be a bit too rapid in my experience. He may have coincidentally had a fatal arrhythmia and/or some undiagnosed underlying medical problem. In either case, at this point this is all speculation. Severe reactions after vaccinations are very rare. The currently used Japanese Encephalitis vaccine has not been associated with an unusually high rate of side effects, and although there are relatively few cases of Japanese encephalitis per year in Japan, there is no treatment and the disease can be fatal or lead to serious neurologic problems. I therefore do not feel that this single event should be a cause for delay of vaccination, but since mosquito season is nearly gone, one could probably safely wait until more details are available (I do believe an autopsy is planned or has been performed).”

*  The above is a developing story and any related news will be posted in Tokyo Families’ Facebook page as soon as it becomes available.

Dr. Kurosu has experience in caring for both the expatriate and local communities in Japanese or English.  Japanese National Health insurance is accepted at the Primary Clinic. The clinic is located in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo.

www.pctclinic.com
Tel. 03-5432-7177

About Dr. Joe Kurosu

Joe Kurosu, M.D., is director of Primary Care Tokyo, a solo practice in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. He is an American graduate of Yale Medical School and licensed in Japan and the United States. His clinic provides a range of primary care services for the pediatric and adult patient, including immunizations, check-ups, acute & chronic disease management, and minor surgical procedures. Dr. Kurosu has experience in caring for both the expatriate and local communities in Japanese or English. Japanese National Health Insurance is accepted. www.pctclinic.com 
Tel 03-5432-7177.