- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,057
- 18,914
Japan is currently experiencing a flu epidemic, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced on 3 October. This year's flu season has started unusually early—five weeks ahead of last year—and is the second-earliest onset in the past twenty years. Health officials are urging people to protect themselves and others by frequently washing their hands, wearing masks, and getting vaccinated. Between 22 and 28 September, designated medical institutions nationwide reported 4,030 flu patients, averaging 1.04 patients per facility. This surpassed the benchmark of 1.00, which signals the official start of an epidemic.
The spread of infections has already had an impact on schools and childcare facilities. During the same reporting week, 135 institutions—ranging from nurseries and kindergartens to primary and secondary schools—closed either wholly or partially, an increase of 40 closures from the previous week and more than three times the number seen during the same period last year.
And whose fault is it?
The spread of infections has already had an impact on schools and childcare facilities. During the same reporting week, 135 institutions—ranging from nurseries and kindergartens to primary and secondary schools—closed either wholly or partially, an increase of 40 closures from the previous week and more than three times the number seen during the same period last year.
And whose fault is it?