In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an inactivated Vero cell culture-derived JE vaccine (IXIARO [JE-VC]) for use in adults aged ≥17 years. One pediatric clinical trial with JE-VC has been completed in 60 children aged 1 to 3 years in India (44 children received JE-VC). A safety and immunogenicity study is ongoing in approximately 1,900 children aged 2 months to 17 years in the Philippines, and a safety and immunogenicity bridging study has been initiated in the United States and other non-endemic countries with a targeted enrollment of approximately 100 children. Despite these ongoing studies, it will likely be several years before JE-VC is licensed in the United States for use in children. JE-VC product information is available at the FDA IXIARO webpage.

Other JE vaccines are manufactured and available for pediatric use in Asia but are not licensed in the United States.

For most travelers to Asia, the risk for JE is very low but varies on the basis of destination, duration, season, and activities. The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all travelers, including children, should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites to reduce the risk for JE and other vector-borne infectious dis¬eases. These precautions include using insect repellent, permethrin-impregnated clothing, and bed nets, and staying in accommodations with screened or air-conditioned rooms. Additional information on protection against mosquitoes and other arthropods is available in CDC's Health Information for International Travel (Yellow Book).

For some travelers who will be in a high-risk setting based on season, location, duration, and activities, JE vaccine can further reduce the risk for infection.  ACIP recommendations for the use of JE vaccine are available in the MMWR Recommendations and Reports.