Japanese medical institutions are having difficulty obtaining supplies of rubella vaccines. Some have temporarily been unable to provide vaccinations.

The Tokyo Medical Association conducted a survey of about 1,000 medical institutions in October. More than 60 percent reported a "severe shortage" or "shortage" of the vaccines.

Rubella is an infectious disease that can cause high fever, rashes and other symptoms. If a pregnant woman contracts rubella, her baby is at risk of developing eye and hearing problems and the heart and other organs could be damaged.

Currently, measles-rubella combination vaccines are regularly administered to children aged one and those between five and six.

Japan's health ministry says three domestic pharmaceutical companies produce those vaccines.

But one of them announced a voluntary recall of its vaccine in January 2024, saying some products had failed to meet efficacy standards. The maker has suspended shipments since November.

The health ministry has been asking the other two pharmaceutical firms to expedite vaccine shipments. It says supply levels are expected to start recovering from February and to eventually reach volumes comparable to average years.