VZCZCXRO2403
OO RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM
RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKO #2293 2782222
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 052222Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6579
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO CITY 0647
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 7915
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1254
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 6760
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 4059
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 9106
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 0576
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 7275
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3599
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 7478
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8657
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFIUU/USFJ

UNCLAS TOKYO 002293 
 
UNCLAS TOKYO 
 
DEPT FOR OES/IHB AMBASSADOR LOFTIS 
DEPT FOR EAP/J, EAP/EX, CA 
USDA PASS TO APHIS, FAS FOR BURDETT 
HHS PASS TO CDC 
HHS FOR OGHA 
DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU AEMR AESC CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL PINR
AMGT, MG, EAGR, JA 
SUBJECT: MGSF01 October 5 UPDATE ON H1N1 OUTBREAK IN JAPAN 
 
REF: TOKYO 2008 and previous 
 
¶1.  Summary:  The GOJ's task force on new influenza led by Prime 
Minister Hatoyama released guidelines for vaccination against H1N1 
influenza October 1.  According to the guidelines, medical 
professionals will be offered the vaccine first, followed by 
pregnant women, children from age one through the third grade, 
parents of infants under age one, and the parents of young children 
who cannot be vaccinated due to allergic reaction to the vaccine. 
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) anticipates 
inoculations to medical professionals will start the week of October 
19, and the vaccination of the four priority groups will be complete 
early in 2010.  MHLW contacts confirmed the vaccine will be 
available to residents of Japan without regard to nationality, but 
that the GOJ has not yet considered vaccinations for non-resident 
foreigners in Japan.  MHLW plans to source 27 million doses of 
vaccine domestically and 50 million doses from international sources 
by March 2010.  End Summary. 
 
GOJ H1N1 VACCINATION POLICY 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2.  According to guidelines released October 1 by the GOJ's 
taskforce on new influenza led by PM Hatoyama, the following 
population groups will be first to be vaccinated: 1) medical 
professionals; 2) pregnant women and those with underlying 
illnesses; 3) children from age one through the third grade; 4) 
parents of infants younger than one year, and parents of children in 
priority group three who are unable to be inoculated due to severe 
allergic reaction to the vaccine.  Once vaccination is complete for 
these four priority groups, authorities will provide vaccinations to 
children from the fourth through sixth grades, junior high school 
students, high school students, and those aged 65 years and older, 
as vaccine becomes available. 
 
¶3.  Local governments will inform residents when and where 
vaccinations will be available.  The MHLW anticipates the first 
inoculations will start the week of October 19 to medical 
professionals described in category one, followed by those in 
category two in November, category three in December and category 
four in January next year. 
 
¶4.  Although not explicitly stated in the guidelines, contacts at 
MHLW confirmed to Econoff the vaccine will be made available to 
residents of Japan regardless of nationality.  Foreigners who 
possess alien registration cards and are in the priority groups 
should be able to make an appointment to be inoculated.  However, 
the GOJ has not discussed the possibility of inoculating 
non-resident foreigners who are in Japan for a short time. 
 
¶5.  According to MHLW officials, Japan will purchase enough vaccine 
to inoculate 27 million people from domestic sources and import 
vaccine to cover an additional 50 million people by March 2010. 
 
ZUMWALT