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ACIP considers Japanese encephalitis vaccine in children
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A vaccine for Japanese encephalitis that is currently licensed for use in adults is now being considered for use in children aged 2 months to 16 years, according to a presentation during the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting.
“No Japanese encephalitis vaccine is licensed and available in the United States for use in children aged younger than 17 years,” Marc Fischer, MD, MPH, of the Arboviral Diseases Branch of the CDC, said during a presentation at the meeting. “We are working to develop recommendations for the vaccine in children with an expected ACIP vote in June 2013.”
The vaccine (Ixiaro, Intercell) was approved for this indication by the European Medicines Agency on Feb. 12. In July, Intercell submitted a biologic license application to the FDA for the use of the vaccine among children aged 2 months to 16 years. The vaccine has been evaluated in three pediatric clinical trials, two of which were in endemic areas and one was among travelers.
The risk for Japanese encephalitis among travelers is low, but varies based on destination, duration of travel, season and activities, Fischer said. Among the 65 cases of travel-associated Japanese encephalitis reported from 1973 to 2012, six of the cases were in children and two died of the disease. Five cases occurred in Asia.