About one-quarter of Japan's residents, some 30 million people, have had flu vaccinations this winter due to fears about SARS and concerns that the vaccine might run out, health ministry officials said Saturday.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare only recommends the vaccination to people over 65 because of doubts about its effectiveness and concerns about its side effects, but of the 30 million, only 8 million were over 65, the officials said.
Given the unusual "vaccination boom," citizens' groups, including the Consumers Union of Japan, asked the ministry to collect more information on possible side effects and inform the public what to do if they experience them.