Do I need the Japanese encephalitis vaccination before traveling to India?

When traveling to any country for the first time you need to consider the health risks associated with area you are about to step foot in. Health concerns for travelers depend on multiple factors, including what time of year they go, what part of the country they are visiting and what type of vacation they plan on having. For example planning an excursion through one of Brazil’s rainforests during their rainy season requires different travel medicines than planning to just sunbathe in Rio de Janeiro during the month of April.

This is also true for anyone wondering what conditions require them to get the Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccination before visiting India. This depends heavily on two factors: what part of the country you intend on traveling to and what time of year you are going.

You should consider getting the JE vaccination if you are traveling to India during its monsoon season, which is anytime between May and October. The moisture gathered during the rainy season creates opportune environments for mosquito larvae. JE transmits through mosquito bites, meaning that the more of these insects around the higher the risk of contracting the disease. Take note that the rainy season may last longer in parts of southern India.

There are states that are at higher risk for JE than others. The states where the most cases of JE have been reported are Assam, Bihar, Goa, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra, Haryana, West Bengal, and Karnataka. If you are visiting any of these areas you should consider getting the vaccine. States that you do not have to worry about are Sikkim, Punjab, Nagar Haveli, Jammu, Daman, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Lakshadweep, Dadra, Diu, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Kashmir.  There have been no reported cases of JE from these regions and traveling to this part of the country puts you at little risk for the disease.

Before making any decisions about whether you need this vaccination or not, you need to visit a Travel clinic that specializes in travel medicine and vaccines at least four weeks before leaving the country. The Center for Disease Control strictly warns against waiting until you’re in your destination country to get any vaccinations, as many countries struggle to weed out counterfeit drugs before administering them to patients. Also, most vaccinations and medicines are taken in doses with days in between, and their effectiveness will not activate for weeks sometimes. Visit a travel doctor now if you plan on vacationing to India in the upcoming months.

In case you are already in India, please visit Travelsafe Clinic branches in Mumbai, Delhi or Chandigarh for detailed travel health advice & travel vaccines including JE vaccine at a fraction of the US price with the same assured quality.