Vaccinations

So I'm going to Japan in less than four weeks. Apparently, as many of you probably already know, Japan is a pretty well developed country. However, there are still many places that are quite rural. One such place is where I will be going as part of the JET Programme. Over the last couple of weeks I've been hearing a lot about various vaccines, different countries in Asia, and what's recommended for which country. It's a bit mind-boggling that humans can die in so many different ways. It's actually quite frightening if you think about it - our bodies are pretty fragile. Living in Toronto for most of my life, I only got vaccines when the government told the schools to tell us to get them. Most of the vaccines I got were done by my family doctor, or at the public school I was at. These were mainly covered by Ontario Health insurance. Travel vaccinations on the other hand, aren't covered, and as I recently just found out, are pretty darn expensive.

One such vaccination is for the Japanese Encephalitis disease. This disease can apparently be pretty fatal in certain cases and is spread by mosquitoes who have been infected by the virus, perhaps contracting the disease by feeding on the blood of pigs and other infected animals, and then transmitting this disease into human blood streams like a reused needle. From what I've heard, Japan is pretty safe, and has been able to control and contain the disease unlike various other less developed Asian countries. However, at the same time, from what I've read, there is still a small risk of contracting this disease in very rural areas in Japan, and the consequences can be pretty fatal in certain cases. Now the debate is whether or not my town of 8100 that is supposedly surrounded by rice fields, should be considered rural or "in the danger zone" as one might say.

To compound matters, there seems to be a lack of the vaccine in Toronto at least at one clinic, and at the other clinic, three shots are required, with a rate of 115 dollars per shot for a whopping total of 345 dollars, making the 45 dollar "consultation fee" seem like chump change. Now seriously, I have no idea what goes into the process of creating a vaccine but I would have to guess that 345 dollars is a lot for most regular folk. I'm still debating on whether or not to get this shot. Most people have told me it's not necessary, while others are playing it ultra-safe and getting it done. For now, I think I'll play it by ear, and if it's really necessary, I'll get the vaccinations done in Japan.