(Newsweek) Japan has been undergoing its worst measles outbreak in at least a decade, and one religious order opposed to vaccinations has now apologized for its role in helping to spread the disease.
In its latest weekly report published Tuesday, the Japanese National Institute of Infectious Diseases observed that up to 167 measles cases had been reported so far for the first six weeks of 2019, the highest number in 10 years, according to national broadcaster NHK. When broken down by province, the worst-hit region was shown to be Mie Prefecture, raising local suspicions that a local religious organization called Kyusei Shinkyo may have inadvertently contributed to the outbreak after up to four individuals became infected at one of its workshops in the city of Tsu last year, Quartz reported.
