Japanese Encephalitis Vaccination (JEV)

In NSW, pharmacists can provide vaccination to eligible patients ages 5+.

A free Japanese encephalitis virus vaccination is available for people aged 2 months or older* who live or routinely work in any of the below Local Government Areas and:

• Regularly spend time outdoors placing them at risk of mosquito bites, or
• Are experiencing homelessness, or
• Are living in conditions with limited mosquito protection (e.g. tents, caravans, dwellings with no insect screens), or
• Are engaging in outdoor flood recovery (clean-up) efforts, including repeated professional or volunteer deployments.

LGAs of high JEV concern

In QLD, pharmacists can provide vaccination to eligible patients ages 2+.

JEV vaccination is recommended and available under the NIP for the following at risk groups:

• people who live or work in, or have a planned visit to, Hemmant in Brisbane, and who are at risk of mosquito bites



people who live or work in, or have a planned visit to, the local government areas listed below and who are at risk of mosquito bites:

• Aurukun
• Balonne
• Burke
• Carpentaria
• Cherbourg
• Cook
• Doomadgee
• Goondiwindi
• Hope Vale


• Kowanyama
• Lockhart River
• Lockyer Valley
• Mapoon
• Mornington
• Napranum
• North Burnett
• Northern Peninsula area
• Pormpuraaw


• Quilpie
• South Burnett
• Southwest area of Toowoomba Regional Council (surrounding and including Millmerran)
• Torres Strait
• Weipa Town
• Western Downs
• Wujal Wujal


people who work at, live near, or have planned to visit:

• 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, students and others involved in the care of pigs
• A pork abattoir or pork rendering plant

Pig doggers and hunters

Personnel who work directly with mosquitoes through their surveillance (field or laboratory based) or control and management such as:

• Environmental health officers and workers (urban and remote)
• Enotomologists

Diagnostic and research laboratory workers who may be exposed to the virus.

** Please speak to your pharmacist to confirm is a consultation fee applies.
There is a limited supply of JEV vaccines worldwide.

In SA, pharmacists can provide vaccination to eligible patients ages 5+.

SA Health has expanded the eligibility criteria for the FREE vaccination to include people who live and work along the River Murray who have a higher risk of contracting JEV.

The JEV vaccines are now also free for:

• People aged 2 months and older* who have a primary residence in one of the areas listed under ‘Eligible Postcodes’ below AND spend at least 4 hours per day outdoors most days.^**
• People employed in a role located in one of the areas listed under ‘Eligible Postcodes’ below AND spend at least 4 hours per day outdoors most days as a requirement of their occupation. Evidence of eligibility required see below

Please note: people previously eligible as per the CDNA advice will continue to be eligible

Due to the limited vaccine supply available eligibility does not extend to people who have a secondary residence/holiday house in one of these postcodes.

The FREE Japanese Encephalitis Vaccination does not include people who are recommended to have a Japanese Encephalitis vaccine for travel reasons. Please speak to your health care provider for further information.

Evidence of eligibility

People eligible to receive a Japanese Encephalitis vaccine as listed above will need to provide evidence of primary residence (i.e. address linked to Medicare card) or a letter from their employer.

A template letter for employers is available here.

Individuals seeking to show eligibility based on employment will need to print off the template letter, provide it to their employer, and then provide the completed letter to their immunisation provider.

Reference:

South Australian Department of Health Japanese Encephalitis

^**Pharmacists are only able to vaccinate ages 5 years and older, please refer to your GP for 4years and younger.

¹ Including Raukkan
² Only including the area east of Ridley Road/Halfway House Road but including the localities of Sedan and Cambrai

Imojev vaccination

This vaccination CAN NOT be administered if you:

• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Have a weakened immune system (immunocompromised)
• Have had a recent receipt of immunoglobulin or immunoglobulin containing blood products (within the last 6-weeks)
• Had an anaphylactic reaction to a vaccine or component
• Are planning on becoming pregnant in the 28 days following this vaccination
• Have had another vaccine within the last four weeks

For more information, please refer to the Department of Health website

If you do not fall into any of the above categories,

In VIC, pharmacists can provide vaccination to eligible patients ages 5+.

There is significant global demand for the JE vaccine. Victoria has a limited supply and therefore access is restricted to specific priority Groups.

Please be aware that not everyone who is living or working in flood-affected areas is eligible for the JE vaccine.

In Victoria, JE vaccine is available free-of-charge for specific priority groups:

• People who are over 50, spend a significant amount of time outdoors (more than four hours a day) and live or work in one of the local government areas of Campaspe, Gannawarra, Greater Shepparton, Indigo, Loddon, Mildura, Moira, Swan Hill, Wodonga and Towong.
• 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
• property that has been confirmed to be infected with Japanese Encephalitis virus
• property suspected to be infected with Japanese Encephalitis virus
• 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
• all diagnostic and research laboratory workers who may be exposed to the virus, such as persons working with Japanese Encephalitis virus cultures or mosquitoes with the potential to transmit Japanese Encephalitis virus

People who are not eligible for government-funded JE vaccine may wish to purchase the vaccine by private prescription.

People living or working in Victoria’s flood-affected areas that do not meet the eligibility for free vaccine can still take steps to keep themselves safe by following preventative measures to protect against mosquito-borne diseases.

This vaccine can not be administered under the Victorian pilot program for the purpose of overseas travel

This information is subject to change & will likely do so in the coming days/weeks with current emergency flooding situation throughout these same areas.

Victoria Department of Health - Japanese Encephalitis information for the public

Better Health Channel - Protect yourself

In NSW, pharmacists can provide vaccination to eligible patients ages 5+.

In NSW, a free Japanese encephalitis virus vaccination is available for people aged 2 months or older* who live or routinely work in any of the below Local Government Areas and:

• regularly spend time outdoors placing them at risk of mosquito bites, or
• are experiencing homelessness, or
• are living in conditions with limited mosquito protection (e.g. tents, caravans, dwellings with no insect screens), or
• are engaging in outdoor flood recovery (clean-up) efforts, including repeated professional or volunteer deployments.

A free JEV vaccination is also recommended for people who live in any part of NSW and:

• work, live, or are visiting a:
• piggery, including farm workers and their families (including children aged 2 months and older*) living at the piggery, pig transport workers, veterinarians (including veterinary students and nurses) and others involved in the care of pigs
• pork abattoir or pork rendering plant.
• 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
• all diagnostic and research laboratory workers who may be exposed to the virus, such as people working with JEV cultures or mosquitoes with the potential to transmit JEV.

In QLD, pharmacists can provide vaccination to eligible patients ages 2+.
JEV vaccination is recommended and available under the NIP for the following at risk groups:

• people who live or work in, or have a planned visit to, Hemmant in Brisbane, and who are at risk of mosquito bites



people who live or work in, or have a planned visit to, the local government areas listed below and who are at risk of mosquito bites:

• Aurukun
• Balonne
• Burke
• Carpentaria
• Cherbourg
• Cook
• Doomadgee
• Goondiwindi
• Hope Vale
• Kowanyama
• Lockhart River
• Lockyer Valley
• Mapoon
• Mornington
• Napranum
• North Burnett
• Northern Peninsula area
• Pormpuraaw
• Quilpie
• South Burnett
• Southwest area of Toowoomba Regional Council (surrounding and including Millmerran)
• Torres Strait
• Weipa Town
• Western Downs
• Wujal Wujal


people who work at, live near, or have planned to visit:

• 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, students and others involved in the care of pigs
• A pork abattoir or pork rendering plant

Pig doggers and hunters

Personnel who work directly with mosquitoes through their surveillance (field or laboratory based) or control and management such as:

• Environmental health officers and workers (urban and remote)
• Enotomologists

Diagnostic and research laboratory workers who may be exposed to the virus.

** Please speak to your pharmacist to confirm is a consultation fee applies.
There is a limited supply of JEV vaccines worldwide.

In SA, pharmacists can provide vaccination to eligible patients ages 5+.

SA Health has expanded the eligibility criteria for the FREE vaccination to include people who live and work along the River Murray who have a higher risk of contracting JEV.

The JEV vaccines are now also free for:

• People aged 2 months and older* who have a primary residence in one of the areas listed under ‘Eligible Postcodes’ below AND spend at least 4 hours per day outdoors most days.^**
• People employed in a role located in one of the areas listed under ‘Eligible Postcodes’ below AND spend at least 4 hours per day outdoors most days as a requirement of their occupation. Evidence of eligibility required see below

Please note: people previously eligible as per the CDNA advice will continue to be eligible

Due to the limited vaccine supply available eligibility does not extend to people who have a secondary residence/holiday house in one of these postcodes.

The FREE Japanese Encephalitis Vaccination does not include people who are recommended to have a Japanese Encephalitis vaccine for travel reasons. Please speak to your health care provider for further information.

Evidence of eligibility

People eligible to receive a Japanese Encephalitis vaccine as listed above will need to provide evidence of primary residence (i.e. address linked to Medicare card) or a letter from their employer.

A template letter for employers is available here.

Individuals seeking to show eligibility based on employment will need to print off the template letter, provide it to their employer, and then provide the completed letter to their immunisation provider.

Reference:

South Australian Department of Health Japanese Encephalitis

^**Pharmacists are only able to vaccinate ages 5 years and older, please refer to your GP for 4years and younger.

¹ Including Raukkan
² Only including the area east of Ridley Road/Halfway House Road but including the localities of Sedan and Cambrai

Imojev vaccination

This vaccination CAN NOT be administered if you:

• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Have a weakened immune system (immunocompromised)
• Have had a recent receipt of immunoglobulin or immunoglobulin containing blood products (within the last 6-weeks)
• Had an anaphylactic reaction to a vaccine or component
• Are planning on becoming pregnant in the 28 days following this vaccination
• Have had another vaccine within the last four weeks

For more information, please refer to the Department of Health website

If you do not fall into any of the above categories,

In VIC, pharmacists can provide vaccination to eligible patients ages 5+.

There is significant global demand for the JE vaccine. Victoria has a limited supply and therefore access is restricted to specific priority Groups.

Please be aware that not everyone who is living or working in flood-affected areas is eligible for the JE vaccine.

In Victoria, JE vaccine is available free-of-charge for specific priority groups:

• People who are over 50, spend a significant amount of time outdoors (more than four hours a day) and live or work in one of the local government areas of Campaspe, Gannawarra, Greater Shepparton, Indigo, Loddon, Mildura, Moira, Swan Hill, Wodonga and Towong.
• 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
• property that has been confirmed to be infected with Japanese Encephalitis virus
• property suspected to be infected with Japanese Encephalitis virus
• 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
• all diagnostic and research laboratory workers who may be exposed to the virus, such as persons working with Japanese Encephalitis virus cultures or mosquitoes with the potential to transmit Japanese Encephalitis virus

People who are not eligible for government-funded JE vaccine may wish to purchase the vaccine by private prescription.

People living or working in Victoria’s flood-affected areas that do not meet the eligibility for free vaccine can still take steps to keep themselves safe by following preventative measures to protect against mosquito-borne diseases.

This vaccine can not be administered under the Victorian pilot program for the purpose of overseas travel

This information is subject to change & will likely do so in the coming days/weeks with current emergency flooding situation throughout these same areas.

Victoria Department of Health - Japanese Encephalitis information for the public

Better Health Channel - Protect yourself