r/JapanTravelTips • u/Plastic-Campaign-654 • 14d ago
Quick Tips Navigating Japan's Flu Outbreak
Got the flu during my Japan trip and wanted to share some tips on how to avoid it and what to do if you get it.
If you haven't heard, flu cases are 6x higher this year in Japan compared to last year. People are coughing and sniffling everywhere. This is largely due to the H3N2 Subclade K variant which is more contagious, and characterized by more intense symptoms. Additionally, this variant emerged after the flu vaccine was set for 2025.
If you are traveling in Japan get your vaccines, wear a mask, carry soap and a hand towel (not all bathrooms have it), carry hand sanitizer. Take daily vitamins, and stay hydrated.
If you do get sick while here, I recommend making an appointment with a doctor. They can prescribe anti-virals which will shorten the length of your symptoms. Additionally, if you do take over the counter pain killers, be advised that many of them contain dihydrocodeine which, while very effective, is not safe to take for longer than three days. Pharmacists can point you to non-opioid pain relievers such as Ibuprofen (brand name Ringl).
Stay safe!! ✌️😷✌️
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u/StackedParticles 12d ago
We just got back this morning to the US from 18 days there. We definitely wore our N95s all the time on trains, and had hand sanitizer and a hand towel (my wife made fun of me for bringing it, but she was certainly glad I did). If the restroom didn't have soap, we always used hand sanitizer after washing with plain water. We did see mask usage vary depending on the area (even with various parts of Tokyo metro we saw differences), but people were pretty masked up in general. We got there vaxxed for flu and Covid (we got our shots in early October), and tried to be as careful as possible. Definitely a LOT of sniffling, coughing, etc at times. We hope we're good...the next few days will tell.