Japan's Childhood Vaccination Schedule 2026: The Complete Guide for International Families

Introduction

Japan has one of the most structured childhood vaccination programmes in the world. This guide reflects the schedule as of 2026, including the 2024 updates to the routine programme. Vaccinations begin at two months old and continue through to secondary school age. As an international resident, navigating the system — the vouchers, the clinics, the terminology — can be confusing at first. This guide explains how everything works, what vaccines your child needs, and what to do if you have just arrived in Japan with a child who needs to catch up.

Two Types of Vaccine: Routine and Optional

Every vaccine in Japan falls into one of two categories, and understanding the difference will save you both money and confusion.

How the Voucher System Works

Routine vaccinations in Japan are managed at the municipal level. When your child is registered in the local residence register (住民票), your ward or city office will mail you a vaccination voucher booklet (接種券). This booklet contains individual vouchers for each routine vaccine, specifying the eligible age window.

Step by step

1. Register your child at the ward office (区役所) as soon as possible after birth
2. The municipality mails your vaccination voucher booklet — usually before your baby turns 2 months old
3. Book an appointment at a participating clinic (委託医療機関) that has a contract with your municipality
4. Bring the voucher, your child's Maternal and Child Health Handbook (母子健康手帳), and your health insurance card
5. The clinic bills the municipality directly — you pay nothing for routine vaccines within the age window

Routine Vaccines (定期接種)

The following vaccines are provided free of charge during the designated age window. The schedule below reflects the current programme as of April 2025.

Optional Vaccines (任意接種)

Optional vaccines are not publicly funded as standard, but many are strongly recommended by paediatricians. Some municipalities subsidise one or more of these — check with your local ward office before assuming full out-of-pocket cost.

What Changed in 2024

Two significant changes to Japan's routine vaccination programme took effect in 2024.

五種混合 — the new 5-in-1 vaccine (April 2024)

The biggest change in years. Japan previously gave the Hib vaccine (ヒブワクチン) and the DPT-IPV 4-in-1 (四種混合) as separate injections. From April 2024, these were combined into a single 五種混合 (go-shu-kongou) — a 5-in-1 vaccine covering diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, and Hib in one shot.

The total number of doses (4) remains the same. The practical benefit is fewer injections per visit. If your child started the 四種混合 series before April 2024, your paediatrician will advise on how to complete the schedule.

Pneumococcal vaccine upgrade (October 2024)

The 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13/Prevenar 13) was replaced by higher-valency versions — PCV15 and PCV20 — offering protection against more strains of the bacteria. If your child already completed the PCV13 series, no additional doses are needed.

For International Residents

Am I eligible for free routine vaccines?

Yes — as long as your child is registered in the Japanese residence register (住民票). Foreign nationals on long-term visas (work, spouse, permanent resident, student) who are registered at a ward or city office are fully eligible for the routine vaccination programme, on the same terms as Japanese citizens.

Short-stay tourists without residence registration are not eligible for the free programme.

We just moved to Japan — how do we catch up?

If your child has already received some vaccines in another country, Japan has catch-up protocols. Contact your local ward office and a paediatric clinic as soon as possible. Bring your child's vaccination records from home — the clinic will work out which vaccines are still needed and at what age they can be given. Note that some vaccines have strict upper age limits.

Schedule in other languages

The know-vpd.jp NPO publishes the full vaccination schedule in 15 languages including English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and more. Download it at know-vpd.jp.

Practical Tips for Clinic Visits

• Book early. Popular paediatric clinics fill up quickly, especially around the 2-month mark when multiple vaccines are due at once.
• Bring the right documents. You will need your vaccination voucher booklet (接種券), the Maternal and Child Health Handbook (母子健康手帳), and your health insurance card (マイナ保険証 or 資格確認書).
• Fill in the pre-screening form (予診票) at home. Most clinics ask parents to complete a health questionnaire before the injection. It asks about recent illness, allergies, and current medications.
• Do not give fever medication beforehand. Some studies suggest pre-medicating with acetaminophen may slightly reduce the vaccine's effectiveness. Ask your paediatrician if you are unsure.
• Plan to stay for 15–30 minutes after. Clinics ask you to wait after vaccination to monitor for any immediate reactions.
• If your child has a fever, reschedule. Vaccines are generally not given when a child is unwell.

For a closer look at what actually happens on the day — the order things run in, how long you wait, and which reactions are normal in the hours afterwards — see our walkthrough of a vaccination visit in Japan.

Vocabulary