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Japanese encephalitis vaccination in Kent

A rare infection with severe consequences, carried by rice-field mosquitoes - which is why the question is not which country but what you will be doing there.

Per dose
£115
Doses
2
Full course
£230
Call your nearest clinic about Japanese encephalitisSee prices
Ages
from 2 months
Protects for
around 10 years after a booster
Come in
five weeks for the standard course; seven days for the accelerated adult schedule

Assessed individually

Who tends to need Japanese encephalitis

  • A month or more in rural Asia during the transmission season
  • Staying near rice paddies, irrigated farmland or pig rearing - the mosquito's habitat
  • Repeated shorter trips to rural areas that add up to prolonged exposure
  • Outdoor work or sleeping in unscreened accommodation
  • Cycling, trekking or camping in the countryside rather than touring cities

Rare, and serious when it is not

Japanese encephalitis is a virus spread by Culex mosquitoes that breed in standing water - flooded rice fields above all - and amplify in pigs and wading birds. It is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia.

The great majority of infections cause nothing at all, or a mild fever. In roughly one in two hundred and fifty it reaches the brain, and then it is grave: of those who develop encephalitis, a substantial proportion die and many of the survivors are left with lasting neurological damage. The risk to any individual traveller is very low; the consequence, if it happens, is not recoverable.

Why the itinerary decides this one

A fortnight in Bangkok, Hong Kong or Singapore does not call for this vaccine. A month on a farm in rural Cambodia during the rains is a different trip entirely, in the same region.

The factors that matter are time, season and setting: how long you are in rural areas, whether it is the transmission season there, and whether you will be outdoors at dusk near irrigated land. Bring your itinerary to the appointment - the dates and the places are what the decision turns on, and a consultation without them is guesswork.

The mosquito bites at the wrong time of day

Culex mosquitoes feed mainly between dusk and dawn, which is the opposite of the dengue mosquito's daytime habit. If you are also in a dengue area, you need bite protection around the clock rather than at one end of the day.

Repellent containing DEET, covering clothing after sunset, and a screened or air-conditioned room do real work here. We go through the practicalities with you, including what actually survives a humid climate.

Plan ahead

The course and its timing

Standard
2 doses, 28 days apart. The second at least 7 days before travel.
Accelerated (adults 18 to 64)
2 doses, day 0 and day 7.
Booster
A single dose 12 to 24 months after the primary course, giving around 10 years.
  • Children from 2 months are given a reduced dose on the same 28-day schedule.
  • The accelerated 7-day schedule is licensed for adults up to 64 and is what makes a short-notice trip workable.

What to expect

Common side effects

  • Injection-site pain or tenderness
  • Headache and muscle aches, reported fairly often
  • Tiredness or mild nausea for a day

Side effects are usually mild and settle within a day or two. A reaction that worries you, or anything that is getting worse rather than better, is worth a call to the clinic that vaccinated you — or to 111 out of hours.

Common questions

Japanese encephalitis questions

  • Do I need it for two weeks in Thailand?

    For a city and beach trip, almost certainly not. For two weeks on a rural homestay in the rainy season, it is a real conversation. The detail of the itinerary is what decides it.

  • Is there a treatment if I catch it?

    No antiviral treatment exists. Care is supportive only, which is why prevention - vaccine where indicated, bite avoidance always - carries the weight.

  • I am going back every year for work. Do I need the booster?

    Yes, that is exactly the pattern the booster is for. One dose twelve to twenty-four months after your first course extends cover to roughly ten years.

Worth reading next

  • Dengue

    Qdenga

    A newer travel vaccine on a three-month schedule, most clearly worthwhile for people who have had dengue before - and a vaccine we will talk you out of as readily as into.

    Full course £200

  • Malaria prevention and antimalarial tablets

    There is no malaria vaccine for travellers, so prevention is tablets plus bite avoidance - and which tablets depends on where you are going, what else you take and how long you are away.

    Read the guide

  • Rabies

    Rabipur or Verorab

    Three doses over three weeks that do not make you immune - they buy you time, which is the whole point where post-bite treatment is days away rather than hours.

    Full course £240