You can tell by your symptoms. The symptoms for the common cold are usually limited to throat pain, a runny nose, sneezing, and coughing. Most of the symptoms are localized. Any accompanying fever will also not be as severe as it would be during a flu bout. A high fever of over 38-39 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees F or more) would signal trouble. This would be accompanied by not only the symptoms mentioned above for the common cold but also headaches, as well as joint and muscle pain throughout the entire body.
More than anything else, get vaccinated. If you receive a vaccination by mid-November, the vaccine efficacy should be high.
Go to your regular health-care provider or hospital and ask to be vaccinated. The vaccination is not covered by regular health insurance, but Tsukuba provides subsidies for elderly people (see below). If you are not eligible for a subsidy, expect to pay around 3000 yen to 4000 yen. It is a good idea to go in November.
The city will sponsor an influenza inoculation program prioritized for registered elderly residents from Oct. 15, 2005-Jan. 31, 2006. The city will subsidize 2000 yen of the total cost of a single vaccination per person. Influenza vaccination costs vary with each health care provider regardless if they are located within Tsukuba or not.
Persons must be (1) 65 years of age or older, or (2) between 60-65 and suffer from serious illnesses such as heart or kidney disease, AIDS, etc. Reminder notices have already been mailed out to those registered residents who are 65+ as of Sept. 1. Those who have not received a notice but will be 65 on the day of vaccination are also eligible.
After receiving your notice, make an appointment with your health care provider. Bring your notice, along with your medical insurance card to your appointment. You may be asked to provide other documentation if you are a social welfare recipient or posses a health/disability logbook, for example. It is recommended that you review the influenza vaccination section of a city publication called Life Plan Sukoyaka, page 32.
Vaccinations can also be received from health care providers outside of the Tsukuba area, as long as they are done within Ibaraki. However, before obtaining the vaccination, please go to the nearest municipal health center to process the necessary documentation and receive forms to bring to your appointment. The application process at the health centers will begin from Oct. 17.
Those who wish to be vaccinated at Ushiku Aiwa General Hospital are not required to go through the above process.
Contact:
Topics: Health
Relevant for: Residents
Please note: While all efforts have been made to offer accurate and up-to-date information on this site, the information is presented as a guideline and is subject to change without notification. Phone numbers, addresses, and/or policies may have changed since this page was created. Please contact the appropriate section of the City Hall for confirmation of information and city policies.