Use of the Live Attenuated Japanese Encephalities Vaccine SA 14-14-2 in Children: A review of safety and tolerability studies

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the leading cause of viral neurological disease and disability in Asia. Some 50– 80% of children with clinical JE die or have long-term neurologic sequelae. Since there is no cure, human vaccination is the only effective long-term control measure, and the World Health Organization recommends that at-risk populations receive a safe and effective vaccine. Four different types of JE vaccines are currently available: inactivated mouse brain-derived vaccines, inactivated Vero cell vaccines, live attenuated SA 14–14–2 vaccines and a live recombinant (chimeric) vaccine. With the rapidly increasing demand for and availability and use of JE vaccines, countries face an important decision in the selection of a JE vaccine. This article provides a comprehensive review of the available safety literature for the live attenuated SA 14–14–2 JE vaccine (LAJEV), the most widely used new generation JE vaccine.