Monkeypox "No confirmed infection in Japan, smallpox vaccine stockpiled," MHLW Minister

May 27, 2022, 11:11 a.m. 

With regard to "monkeypox," of which patients have been confirmed one after another mainly in Europe and the United States, Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare Goto stated that infection in Japan has not been confirmed and that smallpox vaccine, which is reported to be effective in preventing infection, is being produced and stockpiled in Japan as part of counter-terrorism measures.

Regarding "monkeypox," of which cases have been confirmed one after another mainly in Europe and the United States, Minister Goto told reporters after the Cabinet meeting, "Cases of monkeypox infection have been confirmed in Europe and other countries, but no deaths have been reported in developed countries. In Japan, the Infectious Disease Control Law requires that all cases of monkeypox be reported as a category 4 infectious disease, but there have been no confirmed cases of infection in Japan.

He also stated that there are reports that smallpox vaccine is effective in preventing infection, and explained that "from the perspective of anti-terrorism measures, we are producing and stockpiling smallpox vaccine in Japan, but we are refraining from disclosing the specific amount we have secured for reasons of crisis management.

Minister Goto also commented on future measures, "While there are aspects that differ from past outbreaks, human-to-human transmission was originally considered to be rare, and it is necessary to consider the situation based on the latest findings and trends in the outbreak of patients. We are continuing to collect information in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations, and will take necessary measures while monitoring outbreak trends in Japan and overseas.