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ACIP recommends Japanese encephalitis vaccine for traveling children
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously, 13-0, today to recommend that the current Japanese encephalitis vaccine recommendations be extended to include children aged 2 months to 16 years, according to a presentation during the meeting.
In 2009, the Japanese encephalitis vaccine (Ixiaro, Valneva) was approved for use in travelers aged at least 17 years planning to spend a month or longer in endemic areas during the Japanese encephalitis virus season.
The FDA licensed the vaccine for use in children aged 2 months to 16 years in May. The vaccine also has been evaluated in three pediatric clinical trials and showed 99% seroprotection a month after the two-dose primary series.
According to Marc Fischer, MD, MPH, of the Arboviral Diseases Branch of the CDC, the risk for Japanese encephalitis among travelers is low but varies based on destination, duration of travel, season and activities.
“When [Japanese encephalitis] does occur, it has a high morbidity and mortality rate, and there is no treatment,” he said at the meeting.
According to the recommendations, the vaccine “should be considered for short-term (less than 1 month) travelers to endemic areas during the [Japanese encephalitis] virus transmission season,” if they will travel in a rural area or at increased risk for virus exposure.
Fischer said health care providers will need to review a person’s travel itinerary and make a decision on whether to vaccinate.
From 1973 to 2012, there were 65 cases of travel-associated Japanese encephalitis reported, six of the cases were in children and two died of the disease. According to Fischer, all of the cases occurred in those who were not vaccinated.
“We decided to split [the recommendations] based on the clearest identified risk based on duration and travel and allow the health care providers to consider for the other short-term travelers and make that recommendation based on their itinerary,” Fischer said.
The wording of the recommendations is expected to be discussed at the next ACIP meeting to further clarify the recommendations for those considered short-term travelers.