When is the best time to get the flu and COVID-19 vaccines in Japan?
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
Every autumn, clinics in Japan start taking bookings for flu vaccinations. The same debate about timing comes round each year: "get it early and it wears off before winter ends", "December is still fine". Here is how to think about timing and who qualifies, including the COVID-19 vaccine, whose routine-vaccination scheme changed in 2024.
Flu vaccine
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Time to take effect | About 2 weeks after the shot |
| How long it lasts | About 5 months (varies between people) |
| Recommended timing | Mid-October to early December. The season runs December–March, peaking late January–February |
| Number of doses | Age 13 and over: 1 dose. 6 months to under 13: 2 doses (2–4 weeks apart) |
| Cost | Voluntary vaccination, about ¥3,000–5,000 (varies by clinic). Age 65 and over: routine vaccination with a municipal subsidy (co-payment often about ¥1,000–2,500) |
| Effectiveness | Protection against falling ill is around 40–60% depending on the year (varies with how well the vaccine matches the circulating strain). Protection against severe illness, hospital admission and death is more stable. One report puts the reduction in death risk in care homes for older people at about 80% |
| Side effects | Redness, swelling and pain at the injection site (10–20%), fever and tiredness (5–10%), mostly settling within 2–3 days. Anaphylaxis is rare |
| Who cannot have it / who should ask first | A fever of 37.5°C (99.5°F) or higher, a serious acute illness, a strong allergic reaction in the past. Egg allergy: most people can still be vaccinated (ask the doctor) |
COVID-19 vaccine (fiscal 2024 onwards)
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies for routine vaccination | Age 65 and over; age 60–64 with severe impairment of heart, kidney or respiratory function, or immune impairment due to HIV |
| Timing | Autumn–winter (October to March, depending on the municipality), once a year |
| Cost | A co-payment in principle (free to about ¥7,000, depending on the municipality). Those outside the scheme pay the full cost as a voluntary vaccination (around ¥15,000) |
| Same-day vaccination | Can be given on the same day as the flu vaccine (same day, different site) |
| Approach | Focus is on preventing severe illness. Updated every year to match the circulating strain |
- Same-day vaccination: flu and COVID-19 can be given on the same day. Side effects can be slightly stronger, so some people choose a day with nothing planned for the next day.
- Worried about being too early: even a shot in early October usually still gives protection through March. Being unvaccinated when the season arrives costs more than "I would rather wait until December", so the realistic approach is to have it when you can get a booking.
- Pregnancy: the flu vaccine is an inactivated vaccine and can be given during pregnancy; in fact it is recommended. The COVID-19 vaccine is also recommended during pregnancy.
- Children: can be vaccinated from 6 months of age. Outbreaks at nursery and school are the usual route for infection into the home, so the common approach is for the whole family to be vaccinated.
- "I had the shot and still caught it": the vaccine's protection against falling ill is not complete, but symptoms are often milder. It cannot be said that "there was no point".
- Help with the cost: municipalities for people aged 65 and over, some municipalities for children, and sometimes company health insurance societies (kenpo) offer subsidies. Vaccination fees are not eligible for the medical-expense deduction on the annual tax return (kakutei shinkoku) — they count as prevention, not medical care.
[Verify] The figures for protection against falling ill and the frequency of side effects are based on MHLW and National Institute of Infectious Diseases materials. Eligibility and costs for routine COVID-19 vaccination are based on the fiscal 2024 scheme; check the scheme in force in the year of publication.
Misunderstanding 1｜Get it early and it will have worn off by the end of the season
Protection lasts about 5 months, and a mid-October shot usually covers you through March. Having it when you can is the surer route.
Misunderstanding 2｜If you have the vaccine you will not catch flu
Protection against falling ill is around 40–60% depending on the year; it is not complete. Protection against severe illness is the more stable effect.
Misunderstanding 3｜You cannot have it if you have an egg allergy
Current vaccines contain only trace amounts of egg, and most people can be vaccinated. Tell the doctor and ask.
Misunderstanding 4｜The COVID-19 vaccine is still free for everyone
From fiscal 2024 it became a routine vaccination (with a co-payment) for people aged 65 and over and other eligible groups; everyone else pays the full cost as a voluntary vaccination.
Misunderstanding 5｜It is dangerous to have the flu and COVID-19 vaccines on the same day
Same-day vaccination is permitted. Side effects may be slightly stronger, so think about the next day's plans.
---
Sources
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), "Influenza Q&A" [インフルエンザQ&A] (vaccine effectiveness, timing, number of doses)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/bunya/kenkou/kekkaku-kansenshou01/qa.html
- MHLW, "Routine COVID-19 vaccination (fiscal 2024 onwards)" [新型コロナワクチンの定期接種について（2024年度以降）]
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/vaccine_00184.html
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases, "Research on the effectiveness of influenza vaccines" [インフルエンザワクチンの有効性に関する研究]
https://www.niid.go.jp/niid/ja/flu-m/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
About this article
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
This article is not meant to diagnose or manage any specific medical condition. If you are worried about your health, see a doctor rather than relying on your own judgement.
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