Encephalitis: Viral - Vaccinations

Vaccinations

Certain vaccinations can help prevent the diseases that can lead to encephalitis.

Measles

Measles used to be a very common childhood disease. In about 1 in 1,000 patients it can lead to encephalitis or death. The risk for these severe complications is highest in the very young and very old. Aggressive vaccination programs have reduced the incidence of measles in the U.S. to fewer than 100 cases a year. Rarely, patients who receive the live-measles vaccine develop encephalopathy (brain damage), but the risk is far lower than brain problems occurring from the disease itself.

Vaccine for Varicella Virus (Chickenpox and Shingles)

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Herpes zoster, or shingles, is a reactivation of the varicella virus, which causes chickenpox. Children (and adults who do not have a history of infection and who lack evidence of immunity) should receive 2 doses of the chickenpox vaccine. A vaccine for shingles is available for adults age 60 years and older. [For more information, see In-Depth Report #82: Shingles and Chickenpox.]

Vaccines for Arboviruses

A vaccine (Ixiaro) is currently available for adults traveling for a month or longer to Asian regions where Japanese encephalitis is endemic. (An older vaccine, JE-VAX, is no longer manufactured, but limited quantities are available for vaccinating children.) Countries and regions with high rates of Japanese encephalitis include Viet Nam, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), southern India, Pakistan, Nepal, Malaysia, Korea, northern Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.

Another type of vaccine (FSME-IMMUN) is used to prevent tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in travelers visiting regions where this type of encephalitis is prevalent. TBE is found mainly in Eastern and Central Europe. This vaccine is available in Canada and many European countries, but it is not yet approved in the United States.

Several types of vaccines are under investigation for West Nile virus, but it will be several years before these vaccines could become commercially available.