On Air: Fukuoka City Information/2013.7.27(Sat)/09:00～

Starting on July 8^th this year, the Basic Resident Registration Network System, often called Juki Net, went into operation. With the initiation of the system, a “Resident Record Code” was assigned to foreign citizens of Fukuoka City. Notices bearing the code number began being mailed to individuals starting this past July 12.

The Resident Record Code is an 11 digit number used to identify individuals, and is valid in the Juki Net System nationwide. The same system was applied to Japanese citizens beginning in 2002. Please be aware that the number differs from the one shown on your Residence Card.

Those who would like can have a Basic Resident Registration Card, or Juki Card, issued for a fee of ¥500. Using a Juki Card, you can register for special services, such as having a copy of your Certificate of Residence issued at convenience stores.

The notices mailed from Fukuoka City are accompanied with a written　explanation which comes in the same envelope and is in four different　languages; Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. Please be sure to read　them.

And Fukuoka City also has an announcement for you regarding the start of a program for subsidizing rubella vaccinations.

Currently, there is an outbreak of rubella across the nation and advisories have been issued. There have been 152 cases reported in Fukuoka City as of the end of June. This is a dramatic increase over the number of cases last year. It’s time to take caution.

If infected, individuals break out in fever and experience rashes over their entire body. Lymph nodes behind the ears and neck also swell. It is especially important for pregnant women, particularly those in early term pregnancy, to take special care. If a mother is infected, the sickness can be passed on to the fetus and children may be born with congenital rubella syndrome, where they suffer from chronic eye, ear and heart problems. In order to protect against this, Fukuoka City is offering to pay for part of the cost of vaccination for those with low immunity.

The program is aimed at helping citizens of Fukuoka City who are over 20 years of age with a low immunity count against rubella, and who are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant. It also extends to the spouses of women who are pregnant, if they too have inadequate immunity against the disease. The program pays for approximately half of the cost of standard vaccination, allowing eligible people to receive it for about ¥5,000.

Also, a rubella antibody test is offered at Health and Welfare Centers in all of the City’s wards. It has only been aimed at woman over the age of 20 seriously seeking to become pregnant; however it is now also offered to spouses of pregnant women who have inadequate immunity and can be received up through March of 2014.

For information about medical facilities participating in the program, test dates, and things you will need to have with you when you take the test, please check the Fukuoka City homepage at www.city.fukuoka.lg.jp.