False Claims About Infant Mortality and Vaccines in Japan and the US
Verdict: False
A viral Facebook post has made false claims about Japan's vaccination practices and infant mortality rate in comparison to the United States. The post claims that Japan does not vaccinate children under the age of two and has the lowest infant mortality rate, while the US has the highest infant death rate and gives 28 doses of vaccines by age 2. However, these claims are inaccurate.
While Japan does not have compulsory vaccine laws, nearly all children in Japan are vaccinated against certain diseases. For example, 96% of 1-year-olds in Japan are vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, and 97% of children in Japan were vaccinated against measles in 2018.
