Abstract
Myanmar is an endemic country for the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and the SA-14-14-2 live-attenuated JEV vaccine was first introduced as a catch-up vaccination campaign in 2017. To determine the effectiveness of vaccination by means of neutralizing antibody titers against JEV, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among five to 15-year-old monastic school children in Mandalay, Myanmar. A total of 198 students who had received vaccines were recruited, and single-time investigation of anti-JEV IgG and neutralizing antibodies against wild-type JEV were determined using anti-JEV IgG ELISA and plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNT50). All students 100% (198/198) showed positive results on the anti-JEV IgG ELISA, and 87% (172/198) of the students had neutralizing antibodies against JEV six months after immunization. The geometric mean titers of both IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies increased with the participants’ age groups, and statistically significant differences in anti-JEV IgG titers were noted across age groups. In this study, we could not investigate the persistence of neutralizing antibodies as only single-time blood collection was done. This study, which is the first report of JEV vaccination among children in Myanmar, showed similar neutralizing antibody production rates among vaccinated individuals as did studies in other countries.
Highlights
Japanese encephalitis (JE) infection, a vaccine-preventable disease caused by a mosquito borne flavivirus, the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), is one of the leading causes of viral encephalitis in Asia
All students were vaccinated at the same time during the first phase of JEV vaccine catch-up campaign conducted by Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar
In Myanmar, the JEV vaccine (SA 14-14-2 live-attenuated vaccine manufactured in China) was firstly introduced in a catch-up vaccination campaign and added to the lists of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) programs receiving Global Alliance and Vaccine Immunization support at the end of 2017
Summary
Japanese encephalitis (JE) infection, a vaccine-preventable disease caused by a mosquito borne flavivirus, the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), is one of the leading causes of viral encephalitis in Asia. Three billion people, including 700 million children, live in areas at risk for JE infection [1]. An estimated 70,000 cases are reported annually, and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that JE claims 14,000 to 20,000 lives a year, mostly children under 15 years of age. Half to three-quarters exhibit long-term intellectual, behavioral or neurological disabilities such as paralysis or the inability to speak. No cure or clinical treatment exists for JE [2]. Because mosquito vector control is not yet sustainable or cost-effective, vaccination is the most important measure to prevent JE
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