“Can I use health insurance for the influenza shot?”
Since the influenza vaccine is intended for “prevention” rather than “treatment” of illness, it is absolutely not covered by public health insurance (National Health Insurance or Social Insurance), meaning it is 100% self-pay. This is the fundamental principle.
However, a public system is in place in Japan to significantly reduce this self-pay expense. Specifically, routine vaccination for those aged 65 and over is made virtually free through public funds (taxes), and it is very common for children to receive subsidies from local municipalities and for company employees to receive assistance from their health insurance unions.
Influenza Vaccination: Is Insurance Applicable? (2025)
| Question | Answer (As of 2025) | Details |
| Can I use Health Insurance (National Health Insurance/Social Insurance)? | Completely Unusable (100% self-pay) | Vaccination is considered “voluntary,” so it is outside the scope of insurance coverage. |
| What about Routine Vaccination for Ages 65+? | Only this is virtually free via Public Funds (Taxes) | Local municipalities cover the cost → Actual out-of-pocket cost is typically ¥1,000 – ¥3,000. |
| Is the subsidy for children (under 13) insurance? | Local Government subsidizes with taxes → Not insurance | Hachioji City, Setagaya Ward, etc., provide a subsidy of ¥2,000 per dose. |
| Is there assistance from my Company Health Insurance Union? | Yes! (Varies by union) | Example: Tokyo Food Sales National Health Insurance Union → ¥2,000 subsidy; Tokyo Dental → ¥2,000, etc. Check with your union. |
| Does life/medical insurance cover “vaccination benefits”? | Rarely provided | 99% of insurance policies cover “treatment,” not preventative vaccination. |
| Can I use the High-Cost Medical Expense Benefit System? | No | It is for prevention purposes, so it is not applicable. |
2025 “Methods to Reduce the Actual Burden to Zero or Near-Zero”
| Target Group | Method | Actual Burden |
| Ages 65+ | Use the routine vaccination public aid | ¥0 – ¥2,000 |
| Company Employees | Use the Health Insurance Union subsidy | ¥0 – ¥2,000 (Varies by union) |
| Children | Double-dip: Use Local Government subsidy + Union subsidy | ¥0 – ¥1,000 per dose |
| Self-Employed / Freelancers | Use Local Government subsidy + Medical Association Group Vaccination | ¥2,000 – ¥3,000 |
Summary
Health insurance is completely unusable. → However, by combining “Taxes (Public Funds) + Health Insurance Union + Local Government Subsidies,” Most people can get the shot for virtually ¥0 to ¥2,000!
Do these two things right away:
- Search your local municipality’s website for “Influenza Subsidy.”
- Ask your company’s health insurance union, “Is there a vaccination subsidy?”
Doing just these two steps can reduce a ¥4,000 fee to less than ¥1,000.
At-Home Testing Kit Ranking (Combined COVID-19 and Influenza)
Here is the English translation of the ranking table for at-home diagnostic kits that test for both COVID-19 and Influenza A/B:
| Rank | Product Name (Manufacturer) | Targets Detected | Sensitivity (Detection Rate) (Estimate: 12-48h Post-Onset) | Result Time | Approximate Price (Per Test) | Suitability for Pregnant Women / Children | Key Features & Availability |
| 1 | Panbio COVID-19/Flu A&B | COVID + Flu A/B | COVID: Approx. 90% | Flu: Approx. 85% | 15 mins | ¥1,980 – ¥2,480 | ◎ (Shallow Nasal Swab) |
| 2 | クイックナビ-Flu+COVID | Same (COVID + Flu A/B) | COVID: 88% | Flu: 80–85% | 15–20 mins | ¥1,780 – ¥2,200 | ◎ (Designed for children’s use) |
| 3 | KBMラインチェック nCoV/Flu | Same (COVID + Flu A/B) | COVID: 85% | Flu: Approx. 80% | 15 mins | ¥1,480 – ¥1,980 | ◎ |
| 4 | イージードック Flu＆COVID-19 | Same (COVID + Flu A/B) | COVID: 87% | Flu: 82% | 15 mins | ¥2,200 – ¥2,600 | ◎ (Many cases of use by pregnant women) |
