Intercell, a Vienna-based company, has announced that it expects to file for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval later this year for a vaccine against Japanese encephalitis, and pending approval to launch the vaccine in the U.S. next year. According to Intercell, its vaccine is both more effective in providing immunity against the virus and less likely to cause significant side effects than the vaccine currently available to U.S. travelers and the military. It also requires two doses rather than the current vaccine's three doses. American travelers to parts of East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific are advised to be vaccinated against the viral disease. Exposure risk tends to be low among travelers making brief visits and those staying in urban centers. Visit [www.intercell.com] for further Intercell information and [www.cdc.gov/travel] for the federal Centers for Disease Control's travel information.
