Enhancing preparedness against rubella at the workplace: proactive prevention efforts by the Tokyo metropolitan government

Abstract

In the 2012–2013 rubella epidemic in Japan, most transmissions in Tokyo occurred at workplaces, especially among men aged 20–49 years. This tendency was likely related to previous rubella immunization policies that prioritized female adolescents. Since 2015, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been promoting a project to prevent rubella and other infectious diseases in workplaces. Companies participate by choosing one or more of three options: (i) acquire fundamental understanding of infectious diseases, (ii) develop a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for infectious diseases in the workplace, and (iii) increase rubella antibody prevalence in employees. Criteria for accomplishment are (i) at least 80% of employees complete the infectious disease training modules or (ii) produce a BCP and (iii) at least 90% of employees demonstrate the presence of antibodies at levels sufficient for preventing rubella. As of July 2018, 39.8% (n ＝ 90) of the 226 companies that began participating in 2015–2017 had met at least one accomplishment criteria (Option I, 42.7% of 192 companies; Option II, 19.3% of 140; and Option III, 17.0% of 53). The main project challenges were recruiting companies and following participating companies. Although early in its implementation, this project has made considerable contributions toward rubella elimination in Japan.