Current use and development of vaccines for Japanese encephalitis

Background: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a significant cause of human morbidity and mortality throughout Asia. Vaccines for JE have been available for many years and their use has been effective in reducing the incidence of A disease in several countries but, as disease incidence has decreased, concerns regarding adverse events following immunisation have increased. Objective: To review existing JE vaccines and new candidates in advanced preclinical or clinical evaluation. Methods: The review primarily covers published and some unpublished literature from the past decade describing current use of approved A vaccines in various parts of the world, and advanced development and clinical testing of alternative vaccine candidates. Results/conclusion: There is a clear need for additional licensing of existing or new A vaccines. Several promising candidates are currently in use or completing clinical trials.