[RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, 6 June 2011]
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
| On 2 June in Rikuzentakata City, about 80 days after the disaster, full-fledged vaccination services were restarted for young children. |
In Rikuzentakata City, infant checkups and vaccinations were restarted in earnest this month with the assistance of the Japan Committee for UNICEF (JCU). For the first phase of activities, MR (measles-rubella) vaccinations were provided on 2 June.
A line of mothers and their children began to form at the venue, Yonezaki Community Center in Takata Hospital, before doors were scheduled to open at 1:30 p.m. Despite the pressure of handling the large number of people, one hospital worker smiled and said, “The children are so excited because they got to see some of their friends after a long time of being out of touch.” A total of 43 children gathered at the hospital on this day. Two of those children had fevers and were not feeling well, so they were unfortunately unable to receive the vaccinations; however, 41 children safely received MR vaccinations.
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
| The waiting room. |
The first in line at the hospital was Kazuko Owada, who brought her five year old daughter Rin. She commented, “I heard about these vaccinations from a friend. I called the city office immediately and made an appointment. That is when I remembered that Nobuko Sasaki, the daughter of a friend, was born on the same day and probably needed her vaccinations as well. So I made appointments for them both. I am so glad I was able to get the appointments.” Nobuko and her mother Chiharu’s home was severely damaged by the tsunami and they had been living in a shelter for a long time. Chiharu looked relieved as she commented, “I am here today because Ms. Owada made an appointment for us.”
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
| Miho Owada and her son Junta (5). |
Nearly in tears, the mother of Junta Owada (5), Miho, said, “I lost Junta’s maternity health record book. I have three children, so without that book I don’t know what vaccinations he has already received, which he hasn’t received, or what he needs. I only know what day he was born and how much he weighed. I didn’t know his chest measurements, height, time of birth or other important details. The truth is Junta’s record book was the only one that I was unable to locate. I was able to find and pull the books of his older and younger siblings from the mud around our house, but I couldn’t find Junta’s. I went to the city office and had Junta’s record book reprinted from what the offices were able to recover. That is when they told me about the vaccinations. I was so relieved to hear that he would be able to get his vaccinations.”
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
Pediatrician Dr. Chiharu Oki, who was in charge of vaccinations for the official restart of infant checkups and vaccinations in Rikuzentakata City, said, “The content of my work may never change, but when giving vaccinations today I thought to myself, ‘Wow, we’ve already made it this far.’ Every small step of progress we make means that we can move forward to the next step. Today’s work made me feel like we are moving forward.”
Eyes brimming with tears, Ms. Matsuki, a nurse from the Rikuzentakata City Health Promotion Section, said to JCU staff on-site at the hospital, “Ah, we’ve finally made it this far.” She smiled as she continued, “This is all thanks to UNICEF. You prepared all of the vaccines. Without the assistance of UNICEF there would have been no way that we could have given MR vaccinations at this early of a stage. Thank you so much.” The Health and Development Service (HANDS) is an expert organization that helped with the implementation of medical and health-related JCU assistance activities on this occasion. Kanako Kikuchi, a HANDS Program Officer, reported that, “After we finished, we all got together to talk about the next round of activities. I was so happy that we successfully finished the first round of checkups and vaccinations.”
As a present for the children that came to receive vaccinations, each received a picture book from the UNICEF Children’s Mini Library. After receiving their presents the children immediately became absorbed in their new books. The mothers were also happy as they watched their children reading the books. Unable to give presents to their children themselves, some mothers expressed their deep gratitude: “These picture books are an enormous help.”
| Receiving Prefecture |
Type of Emergency Supplies |
Arrival Date |
Quantity | Donating Company |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miyagi | Water | 19 Mar. | 12,288 bottles |
VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Fukushima | Water | 22 Mar. | 12,672 bottles |
VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Miyagi | Underwear for boys and girls | 22 Mar. | 200,000 | ||
| Iwate | Underwear for boys and girls | 23 Mar. | 30,000 | ||
| Fukushima | Water | 23 Mar. | 4,680 bottles |
KIRIN MC DANONE WATERS Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Miyagi | Children’s shoes | 23 Mar. | 10,000 pairs |
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| Miyagi | Children’s diapers | 24 Mar. | 80 packs | P&G Japan | |
| Iwate | Children’s underwear | 24 Mar. | 9,700 | ||
| Fukushima | Water | 24 Mar. | 12,288 bottles |
VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Iwate | Shoes | 26 Mar. | 1,404 pairs | Achilles Corporation | |
| Iwate | Underwear for boys and girls | 27 Mar. | 28,266 | ||
| Iwate | Boots | 27 Mar. | 7,462 pairs | ||
| Iwate | Wipes | 28 Mar. | 1,200 | P&G Japan | For babies |
| Miyagi | Recreation kits Early Childhood Development kits |
2 Apr. | 50 of each | Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division | |
| Iwate | Recreation kits Early Childhood Development kits |
2 Apr. | 50 of each | Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division | |
| Miyagi | Book bags | 6 Apr. | 70 | Nihon New Bag Chain | |
| Iwate | Book bags | 6-7 Apr. | 340 | Seiban | |
| Miyagi | Schoolbags | 8 Apr. | 18,000 | Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division | |
| Iwate | Schoolbags | 8 Apr. | 18,000 | Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division | |
| Miyagi | Personal security buzzers (for crime prevention purposes) | 8 Apr. | 5,000 | ||
| Iwate | Personal security buzzers (for crime prevention purposes) | 8 Apr. | 5,000 | ||
| Miyagi | Minicar | 8 Apr. | 3 cars | ||
| Miyagi | Nutritional supplements | From early April | 4,000 bottles | ||
| Fukushima | Water | 11 Apr. | 1,536 bottles | VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Miyagi | Replenishments for recreation kits | 12 Apr. | 60 sets | ||
| Miyagi | Miniature toy cars | 12 Apr. | Approx. 1,200 | TAKARA TOMY | |
| Sagamihara* | Water | 12 Apr. | 12,288 bottles | VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Miyagi | Play mats | 13 Apr. | Two types; 80 of each type | IKEA | |
| Miyagi | Drawing sets | 13 Apr. | 60 sets | IKEA | |
| Iwate | Preschool-size chairs, tables and low tables | 14 Apr. | 75 chairs; 11 tables; 9 low tables | Donated to preschools, primary schools, junior high schools and high schools in the disaster area as well as their new locations | |
| Miyagi | Mopeds | 15 Apr. | 5 | ||
| Iwate | Notebooks and stationery sets for primary and junior high school students | 15. Apr. | 16,700 sets | ||
| Miyagi | 183 computers; 57 copiers and fax machines; 61 printers | 18-21 Apr. | Distributed to preschools, primary schools, junior high schools and high schools in the disaster area as well as their new locations | ||
| Fukushima | Movable blackboards | 21 Apr. | 10 | ||
| Fukushima | Temporary toilets | 22 Apr. | 20 | ||
| Iwate | Geiger counters | 28 Apr. | 14 | For schools in Soma City | |
| Iwate | Dressing room/ breastfeeding partition system | 28 Apr. | 21 sets | ||
| Saitama* | Milk | From late April | Shelter in Futabamachi, Kazo City | ||
| Saitama* | Yogurt | From early May | Danone Japan | Shelter in Futabamachi, Kazo City | |
| Iwate | Color pencils (120 sets) and paint (240 sets) | 13 May | |||
| Iwate | Student lamps | 14 May | 15 | ||
| Iwate | Stationery sets | 16 May | 840 sets | ||
| Fukushima | Lockers | 16 May | 22 sets | For the Board of Education of Minamisoma City | |
| Fukushima | Computers | 16 May | 1 | Ishikawa Town Board of Education | |
| Miyagi | 2 copiers; 2 computers; 2 printers | May | For Higashi-Matsushima Day-Care Center and Watari Day-Care Center | ||
| Iwate | Water receiving tank, water purifier tank, water supply tank | May construction | May construction | ||
| Miyagi | Solar-powered vaccine refrigerator | 18 May | |||
| Fukushima | Fans | 30 May | 112 | Minamisoma City Board of Education | |
| Fukushima | Masks | 30 May | 100,000 | Minamisoma City Board of Education |
-Number of UNICEF Children’s Mini Libraries distributed: Approximately 130,000 books to over 650 locations (as of 6 June 2011).
-Number of children that have participated in the UNICEF “Let’s Play! The Outdoors Playtime Project” in Fukushima Prefecture: Approximately 5,600 (as of 26 May)
*Areas receiving disaster victims.
*In certain cases some supplies may be taken from prefectural supply storage warehouses and distributed to shelters and disaster sites in other prefectures.
As of 9:00 a.m. on 1 June 2011 (compiled by the Information and Public Affairs Division).