Immunogenicity of live attenuated SA14-14-2 Japanese encephalitis vaccine - A comparison of 1- and 3-month immunization schedules

Live attenuated SA14-14-2 Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine has been safe and effective in > 100 million immunized children, but its current administration schedule of two doses given a year apart does not lend itself to inclusion in established Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) schedules of childhood immunization. Immune responses to immunization at shorter intervals were compared in middle-school-aged children immunized with two doses separated by 1 month (n = 116) or 2.5 months (n = 115), Two vaccine lots were compared, Seroconversion to the vaccine was observed in 100% of vaccinees immunized in the 1-month schedule and in 94% (lot 2) and 100% (lot 1) of vaccinees immunized in the 2.5-month schedule, Geometric mean titers were almost 2-fold higher with the longer schedule, The routine administration of JE SA14-14-2 vaccine to infants in an EPI schedule should be possible using either interval.