You've Got What? Japanese encephalitis virus infection
PDF 297 KB
This is a viral infection of the human brain caused by the Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus and is a notifiable condition.
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) vaccine
Japanese encephalitis is a rare but serious disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Protect yourself and your family against Japanese encephalitis – if you’re eligible, get the free vaccine now.
People eligible for the free JEV vaccine
Free JEV vaccination is available for the following eligible groups:
- people aged 2 months and older who have a primary residence in an eligible Local Government Area (LGA) below AND spend at least 4 hours per day outdoors most days
- people aged 2 months and older who have a secondary residence affected by the River Murray flood in an eligible postcode AND spend at least 4 hours per day outdoors most days.
- people employed in a role located in an eligible postcode AND spend at least 4 hours per day outdoors as part of their occupation most days.
JEV vaccine eligible LGAs
- Alexandrina Council
- Berri Barmera
- Mid Murray Council
- District Council of Loxton Waikerie
- Coorong District Council
- Rural City of Murray Bridge
- Southern Mallee
- Renmark Paringa Council
- Karoonda East Murray District Council
- Unincorporated areas next to the Murray River within the postcodes 5330, 5341, 5342, 5343, 5344 and 5345
Use the JEV Vaccination - Eligibility Checker tool to see if your primary or secondary residence is in an eligible area.
If your residence is not listed, but your dwelling has been inundated by the River Murray flood event, please provide proof of your address and photo evidence of the flood impact on your property when presenting for vaccination.
Other eligible groups
Free JEV vaccination is also available for people who work at, reside at, or have a planned non-deferable visit to a:
- piggery, including but not limited to farm workers and their families (including children aged 2 months and older) living at the piggery, transport workers, veterinarians and others involved in the care of pigs
- pork abattoir or pork rendering plant
- personnel who work directly with mosquitoes through their surveillance (field or laboratory based) or control and management, and indirectly through management of vertebrate mosquito-borne disease surveillance systems (e.g. sentinel animals) such as:
- environmental health officers and workers (urban and remote)
- entomologists
- diagnostic and research laboratory workers who may be exposed to the virus, such as persons working with JEV cultures or mosquitoes with the potential to transmit JEV.
- emergency services workers supporting the Riverland community during the flooding event, who will spend four weeks or more working in the area and are outdoors for four hours or more on most days during this time.
Proof of eligibility
People eligible to receive a JEV vaccine will need to provide evidence of primary residence in an eligible postcode (i.e. address linked to Medicare card) or a letter from their employer if working in an eligible postcode.
People who own a secondary residence/holiday house in an eligible postcode affected by the River Murray flood event are eligible for the free JEV vaccine. Immediate family who reside with them and their dependents are also eligible. Owners of a secondary residence that has been or is likely to be inundated by flooding need to provide proof of ownership (ie rates notice or electricity bill).
A letter template for employers (DOCX 28KB) can be completed by your employer as proof of eligibility.
People who are not eligible
Guests and/or visitors of people with a primary or secondary residence are not eligible.
Vaccine supply is currently limited in Australia. The eligible groups may be expanded once more vaccine is available.
Persons who require JEV vaccine as they are travelling overseas are not eligible under this program, and instead should contact a travel medicine clinic.
Where you can get vaccinated
You can get a free JEV vaccine at the participating vaccine providers below. Don’t forget to take your proof of eligibility with you.
Vaccination is free for eligible people at vaccination clinics and pharmacies. GPs may charge a consult fee for vaccination appointments.
| Suburb | Clinic name and location | Vaccines offered | Age | Bookings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barmera 5345 | Barmera Medical Clinic 24 Hawdon Street | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Barmera 5345 | Barmera Pharmacy 20 Barwell Road |
Imojev | 5 years+ | Contact the pharmacy for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Berri 5343 | Berri Medical Clinic 29 McGilton Road | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Berri 5343 | Riverland Plaza Pharmacy 32 Kay Avenue | Imojev | 5 years+ | Contact the pharmacy for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Berri 5343 | Living Well with Dr Wilson 26 Kay Avenue | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Goolwa 5214 | Alexandrina Council 11 Cadell Street (City of Onkaparinga Clinic) | Imojev and JEspect |
2 months+
| Bookings essential - click to make a booking at Goolwa |
| Goolwa 5214 | Priceline Pharmacy 20 Cadell Street | Imojev | 5 years+ | Contact the pharmacy for eligibility and booking |
| Goolwa 5214 | The Cadell Street Clinic 31C Cadell Street | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Karoonda 5307 | Karoonda Medical 13 Stokes Road | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Lameroo 5302 | Mallee Medical Practice 1 Vardon Terrace | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Loxton 5333 | Loxton Health Centre 11 Anzac Crescent | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Loxton 5333 | Loxton Pharmacy 4-6 East Terrace | Imojev | 5 years+ | Contact the pharmacy for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Mannum 5238 | Mannum Medical Centre Parker Street | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Mannum 5238 | Terry White Mannum Riverside 86-88 Randell Street | Imojev | 5 years+ | Contact the pharmacy for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Mannum 5238 | Terry White Mannum Green 65-75 Adelaide Road | Imojev | 5 years+ | Contact the pharmacy for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Meningie 5264 | Coorong Medical Centre 2 South Terrace | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Mount Compass 5210 | Mt Compass Pharmacy Shop 4, 30-34 Victor Harbor Road | Imojev | 5 years+ | Contact the pharmacy for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Murray Bridge 5253 | Bridge Clinic 8 Standen Street | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Murray Bridge 5253 | Bridgeview Family Practice 3-5 Bridge Street | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Murray Bridge 5253 | Priceline Pharmacy Murray Bridge 23-51 South Terrace | Imojev | 5 years+ | Contact the pharmacy for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Pinnaroo | Mallee Border Health Centre 29 Hensley Street | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months + | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Port Elliot | Port Elliot Medical Clinic Cnr North and Montpellier Terrace |
Imojev and JEspect
|
2 months +
|
Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking
|
| Renmark 5341 | Renmark Medical Clinic 65 Thurk Street | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Renmark 5341 | United Chemists Renmark 227 Renmark Avenue | Imojev | 5 years+ | Contact the pharmacy for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Renmark 5341 | Priceline Pharmacy Remark 10-12 Renmark Avenue | Imojev | 5 years+ | Contact the pharmacy for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Strathalbyn 5255 | Strathalbyn Council Chambers 1 Coleman Terrace | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months + | Bookings essential - click to make a booking at Strathalbyn |
| Tailem Bend 5260 | Murraylands Medical Practice 70 Princes Highway | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Tailem Bend 5260 | Tailem Bend Pharmacy 75 Railway Terrace | Imojev | 5 years+ | Contact the pharmacy for eligibility and to make a booking |
| Waikerie 5330 | Waikerie Medical Centre 2 Strangan Road | Imojev and JEspect | 2 months+ | Contact the clinic for eligibility and to make a booking |
Available vaccines
JEspect
JEspect is an inactivated vaccine and can be given to those who cannot have the live vaccine, including:
- infants from 2 months to less than 9 months
- people who are immunocompromised
- women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
JEspect is available from participating GPs and some council clinics.
Imojev
Imojev is a ‘live’ attenuated vaccine, which means it contains a weakened version of the live virus JEV. Imojev can be given to people over 9 months. You cannot receive Imojev if you have had a product containing immunoglobulin in the preceding 3 months.
Imojev is available at participating pharmacies, GPs and council clinics.
More information about the vaccines
The Japanese Encephalitis Vaccination Program fact sheet (PDF 260KB) has more information about the JEV vaccines, including:
- JEV vaccines available in South Australia
- vaccine dosage
- interval between other types of vaccines
- side effects
- immunity and efficacy
- vaccination suitability for people with immunosuppression or taking medication.
Vaccine safety
Both vaccines are highly effective and safe.
The vaccines have been used extensively over many years in Australian Defence Force personnel, residents of the Torres Strait Islands and travellers to southeast Asia. Both vaccines are used extensively in childhood and some adult vaccination programs in countries with ongoing transmission of JEV.
Side effects
As with any medicine, there is a very small chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction. Severe reactions to JEV vaccine are very rare.
Common side effects of JEV vaccines may include:
- pain, tenderness, redness, or swelling where the vaccine was given
- fever may occur, more often in children
- headache or muscle aches can also occur, mainly in adults.
Side effects usually occur within 3 to 7 days after receiving the vaccine and only last a few days.
Other things you need to do to protect yourself against JEV
You still need to protect yourself from mosquito bites because:
- no vaccine is 100% effective
- the JEV vaccines take a few weeks to provide protection
- there are other mosquito-borne diseases in South Australia for which no vaccine is available (Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus, Murray Valley encephalitis virus, West Nile virus/Kunjin disease).
Fight the Bite to protect yourself and your family against mosquito bites and mosquito-borne diseases:
- Cover up by wearing long, loose fitting clothing.
- Repel using insect repellent.
- Eliminate the water the mosquitoes can breed in.
Take part in the South Australian JEV Serosurvey
Everyone living in the Riverland Mallee Coorong region is being invited to participate in a regional Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) Serosurvey being undertaken by the Riverland Academy of Clinical Excellence (RACE) Public Health Unit. A serosurvey is a survey of blood samples collected from the population to measure immunity due to past infection or vaccination. It will determine how many people have already been exposed to this virus.
More information
If you have any questions or need to report an adverse event following immunisation (AEFI), you can:
- speak with your GP
- contact the Immunisation Section, SA Health Monday to Friday between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm on 1300 232 272.