Table 1.

History of immunization and vaccine development in Japan

1948: Immunization Law [Smallpox, Diphtheria, Typhoid fever, Salmonella Paratyphi, Pertussis, Tuberculosis, Typhus, Plague, Cholera, Scarlet fever, Influenza, Leptospirosis]
1951: Preventive law against tuberculosis.
1961: The polio vaccine was recommended.
1962: School immunization with the influenza vaccine	Adverse events after the smallpox vaccination 1968–1970
1968: DPwT was recommended vaccination 1968–1970
1976: Amendment of the immunization law for a compensation remedy for adverse events: Recommended obligatory [Smallpox, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio]; Temporarily [influenza, JEV]	DPT accidents 1974–1975
1977: The rubella vaccine was recommended.
1978: The measles vaccine was recommended.
1980: Eradication of smallpox and stopped being used.
1981: The mumps vaccine was licensed.	MMR scandal 1989–1993
1985: The hepatitis B vaccine was licensed for the prevention of vertical transmission in1986.
1994: Ammendment for private vaccination: Recommended [DPT, Polio, Measles, Rubella, JEV] Voluntary [influenza, VZV, Mumps]
1995: The hepatitis A vaccine was licensed,
2001: The influenza vaccine was recommended for the elderly >65 years.
2005: BCG was recommended for infants 0–6 months of age.	JEV ADEM 2005
2005: The JEV vaccination was interrupted until 2009 and a booster at 14 years was stopped.
2006: The two-dose schedule was started, using the MR combined vaccine.
2009: Pandemic 2009 vaccines were imported from GSK and Novartis.
2010: Hib, PCV7, and HPV were temporarily recommended.

DPwP Whole cell pertussis vaccine combined with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, JEV Japanese encephalitis virus vaccine, MMR Measles, mumps and rubella-combined vaccine, VZV Varicella zoster virus vaccine, ADEM Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, Hib Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine, PCV7 7-valent Str. pneumoniae vaccine, HPV Human Papilloma virus vaccine