Florence Implements Emergency Measles Vaccinations for Childcare Staff

Florence, a certified non-profit organization (based in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Midori Akasaka), has decided to provide measles vaccinations to all childcare staff, regardless of employment status, as a measure against the current domestic measles outbreak.

Florence operates various programs including sick child childcare, authorized childcare, and childcare for children with disabilities.

Drawing on its experience from the 2018 outbreak, where it quickly organized mass vaccinations for its staff, Florence is initiating collective measles vaccinations again to protect the health of children, their families, and the staff themselves.

Measles has diverse transmission routes—including airborne, droplet, and contact—and is extremely contagious, with an infection rate said to be ten times higher than influenza. Infection can lead to high fever, rashes, and severe complications like pneumonia or encephalitis, posing life-threatening risks.

Florence specifically cares for children with low resistance to infectious diseases and those requiring medical care in facilities such as its "Home-visit Sick Child Care" and "Helen Childcare for Children with Disabilities." The organization views pre-vaccination as critical to maintaining a safe environment and preventing childcare settings from becoming hubs of infection.

Measles Vaccination Overview

This vaccination program is strongly recommended for staff in the Kanto region, where many cases have been reported.

Eligible Personnel:
Childcare staff in the Kanto region (all roles including childcare workers, nurses, rehabilitation therapists, and cooking staff, regardless of full-time or part-time status).
- Future Childcare Division (staff at all Ouchi Nursery schools, Minna no Mirai wo Tsukuru Nursery schools, and temporary childcare rooms).
- Childcare for Children with Disabilities Division (staff at all Helen Nursery schools, Annie Home-visit childcare for children with disabilities, and Nancy medical care sitters).

Implementation:
Collective and individual vaccinations provided in partnership with the affiliated "Florence Children and Heart Clinic" (Hatsudai, Shibuya-ku).

Cost:
Covered by the organization.

Note: The Sick Child Care Division already confirms medical histories (measles, rubella, chickenpox, mumps) and immunization records at the time of hiring, and provides vaccinations for necessary staff at the organization's expense to ensure safety. Therefore, they are not part of this specific recommendation drive.

Comment from Representative Director Midori Akasaka:
"The quality of childcare is built upon safety. To Florence, childcare staff are the very 'social infrastructure' that supports parents and children."

"During the 2018 outbreak, we acted with the firm resolve to 'not let a single person be infected or spread the virus,' and conducted collective vaccinations. This time, we are once again committed to ensuring a safe environment for our frontline staff and protecting the smiles of all families in our care by launching comprehensive infection control measures."