News
20 March, 2026
Free vaccine available for Japanese encephalitis in the regions
Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a rare but serious illness spread by infected mosquitoes. But there is a free vaccine available for people across the whole of NSW with several local government areas (LGAs) potentially at risk.
Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a rare but serious illness spread by infected mosquitoes.
While many people experience mild illness, it can cause severe neurological illness with headache, convulsions and reduced consciousness and in rare cases can be fatal.
But there is a free vaccine available for people across the whole of NSW with several local government areas (LGAs) potentially at risk.
These regions are close to home, including Goulburn Mulwaree, Yass Valley, Oberon and even the Upper Lachlan, amongst many others across NSW.
The vaccine is recommended for people who work at, live near or are visiting a:
Piggery, including farm workers and their families (including children 2 months and over) living at the piggery, pig transport workers, veterinarians (including the veterinary students and nurses) and others involved in the care of pigs;
A pork abattoir or pork rendering plant;
If they work directly with mosquitoes through their surveillance (either field or laboratory based), or through control and management and indirectly through management of vertebrae mosquito – borne disease surveillance systems (e.g. sentinel animals) such as:
Environmental health officers and workers (both urban and remote); and
Entomologists.
Other workers who are also potentially at risk include:
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, as per the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
The two types of JEV vaccines are:
Imojev (which is a one dose vaccine available for use in people aged 9 months and older); and
JEspect/Ixiaro: There are two doses available for use in infants and children aged 2 months and older, including people who are immunocompromised, and pregnant women.
The vaccine can take between 2 to 4 weeks for your body to develop a protective immune response to the disease, so if you’re eligible, you should get vaccinated as soon as possible.
And as with most vaccines, there are some common side effects. For the JEV vaccine, these side effects include:
Pain;
Tenderness;
Redness; and
Swelling where the vaccine was given.
Fever may also occur, more often in children.
Headache or muscle aches can also occur, mainly in adults. These side effects usually go away within a few days.
Severe reactions to the JEV vaccine are very rare, and as with any medicine, there is a very small chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction.
To find out if you are eligible for a JEV vaccine, contact your GP, pharmacist or Aboriginal medical service about getting vaccinated today.
Note: some providers may charge an administration or consultation fee – be sure to check if this applies to you.
For any more information on Japanese encephalitis, visit the Australian Immunisation Handbook link at https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/vaccine-preventable-diseases/japanese-encephalitis.
And for more information on how to protect yourself from mosquito bites, visit https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/mosquitoes.
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