Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine

typhoid vaccines

What is Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine?

This vaccine comes under IAP recommended vaccines for High-risk children (Vaccines under special circumstances).

Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine is a vaccine that protects against Japanese encephalitis.

Japanese encephalitis, a mosquito-borne arboviral infection, is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia. JE virus spreads through the bite of infected mosquitoes. It cannot spread directly from person to person. Encephalitis is a disease that results in inflammation of the brain.

A live attenuated vaccine based on the SA 14-14-2 strain of the JE virus is widely used in Asian countries.

Doses are given either by injection into a muscle or just under the skin.

JE Vaccine Immunization Schedule

One or two doses are given depending on the version of the vaccine. Commonly followed schedule is
  • Day 0- Dose 1
  • Day 28- Dose 2

Effectiveness

The vaccines are more than 90% effective. How long this protection lasts is not clear but its effectiveness appears to decrease over time.

Side Effects

Mild Problems
  • Pain, tenderness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given (about 1 person in 4).
  • Fever (mainly in children).
  • Headache, muscle aches (mainly in adults).
Studies have shown that severe reactions to JE vaccine are very rare.