Hello! I am going to be traveling in rural Japan and want to get the Japanese encephalitis vaccine, which was not previously on my radar. A few questions:
How many shots is the Japanese encephalitis vaccine in Taiwan? (I know in the US it’s two shots, but AFAICT the only version of the vaccine approved in the US, a Vero cell culture-derived vaccine with the brand name “Ixiaro,” is not available in Taiwan.)
Are there different versions of the vaccine targeted at Taiwanese vs Japanese strains of Japanese encephalitis? In other words… is the version of the vaccine routinely given to children in Taiwan different from what I would be given at a travel medicine clinic in Taiwan, or the same?
What is the name (or names) of the Japanese encephalitis vaccine (or vaccines) available in Taiwan?
Thanks for any help, especially from anyone who has gotten the vaccine recently (since ~2018). There are several older posts about the JE vaccine, but my understanding is that the type of vaccine administered in Taiwan changed in 2017. I’ve found some contradictory info about how many shots it is and what kind is used right now.
Just to follow up here belatedly, I got the vaccine and all went well - thanks again for the quality information, @tando, it was very helpful to my travel plans.
For sure. NTU Hospital’s travel medicine clinic, arrived in morning and got an afternoon appointment same day. I received IMOJEV as @tando said, didn’t ask about other options. My concerns in asking this question originally were that it would be a one shot vaccine (because of travel timing) and that it would not be a less safe JE-MB vaccine (which my reading suggested was discontinued in Taiwan in 2017, but wanted to be sure), and IMOJEV met both of those criteria.
Very helpful, thank you! I’m glad this worked out for you.
Incidentally, back in the day, when I relocated to Taiwan, the travel health authorities in my home country recommended the JE vaccine, along with other vaccines. At some point in the 2000s, they no longer recommended the JE vaccine for travel to (in my case, living in) Taiwan. I wonder what happened for them to adjust their recommendation.
Unfortunately I don’t remember the cost, but I would guess it was around 2000-3000 NTD. (I recall it not being cheap, but being much cheaper than the cost of the alternative JE vaccine IXIARO in the US.)
I was told similar, also in Canada. Even till now, despite my work in fields and mountains (nearly every day if the year) the doctors here don’t suggest I get it for some reason. I suspect moreso because they don’t think my lifestyle requires it. But it seems strange. Could be them thinking it’s not worth it, or them thinking I am not in danger. I still don’t have it, despite requesting it multiple times…though not really pushing to get it.
Thanks again. Just got it done yesterday. In case someone in the future runs into this thread for this or other vaccines, here’s my experience (not legal advice, not medical advice, not a doctor).
1- The cost for IMOJEV was 4780NTD, single-dose. When I was in the US IXIARO was 350$/dose and we needed two doses. So like 5 times cheaper.
2- I had no side effects, the nurse said I might get a fever.
The hospital I went to, NTUH, which was mentioned earlier in this thread is crowded. Here are the steps I followed:
1- I registered for an appointment here: https://reg.ntuh.gov.tw/webadministration/English/defaultEng.aspx
“Register on the internet” → “family medicine” → “vaccination clinic”
2- Went to the hospital on that day (it is on the red MRT line, called NTU Hospital between the Main station and the memorial hall), Then followed the signs for “family medicine” while inside (there are only a few of them, but basically went left and up to the second floor)
3- Presented the appointment to the main desk, they took me to clinic 6 or 10. Then went in with my passport and waited for my turn.
4- The doctor asked me a bunch of questions, then gave me a bunch of documents and instructions.
5- Then had to go back downstairs to the cashier area, take a number, then pay. Then to the pharmacy, there was a number on one of the documents like A454 and picked up the vaccine vial from there.
6- Then went back upstairs to the clinic next to the one before, and gave the vaccine to the doctor and they administered it.
I was told later that there are smaller clinics that might be able to administer it, but it was an interesting experience for me.
Great to hear! Glad it worked out. I have considered getting this one as well.
A note for others that may not know. For many shots, it is not uncommon in hospitals to get the prescription from the doctor, then go pay, then go pick up, then go back to someone to administer the shot. Pretty common order of operations here, not just for vaccines. Even the free ones NHI covers.