Ixiaro

Ixiaro is a vaccine used to prevent Japanese encephalitis.

It is available in an injectable form to be given directly into the muscle by a healthcare professional.

Common side effects include headache, muscle pain, and injection site reactions. 

Ixiaro is a vaccine used to prevent Japanese encephalitis.

Ixiaro is approved for use in individuals 2 months of age and older.

• Intercell Biomedical LTD

Serious side effects have been reported with Ixiaro. See the “Ixiaro Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Ixiaro include the following:

• Pain, tenderness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
• Fever (mainly in children)
• Headache, muscle aches (mainly in adults)
• Nausea
• Skin rash
• Fatigue
• Flulike illness
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Brief fainting spells can happen after any medical procedure, including vaccination. Sitting or lying down for about 15 minutes can help prevent fainting and injuries caused by a fall. Tell the person giving you the vaccine if you feel dizzy, or have vision changes or ringing in the ears.
• Lasting shoulder pain and reduced range of motion in the arm where the shot was given can happen after a vaccination

This is not a complete list of Ixiaro side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to VAERS at 1-800-822-7967.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• Medicines that suppress your immune system
• Other vaccinations

This is not a complete list of Ixiaro drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Ixiaro including the following:

• Severe allergic reactions from a vaccine are very rare. If one were to occur, it would usually be within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination. Symptoms include:
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Hoarseness or wheezing
  • Hives
  • Dizziness, weakness, or fast heartbeat

You should still protect yourself from mosquito bites even if you have had the Ixiaro vaccine.

Ixiaro may not fully protect everyone who gets the vaccine.

Ixiaro does not protect against encephalitis caused by other viruses/pathogens.

Ixiaro does not protect against other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.

Do not receive Ixiaro if you:

• Have had a severe life-threatening allergic reaction to a dose of Ixiaro
• Have a severe life-threatening allergy to any component of Ixiaro
• Pregnant (consult with your doctor)

Medications and vaccines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Ixiaro, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this vaccine.

Before receiving Ixiaro, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• Are allergic to Ixiaro or to any of its ingredients, or to any other Japanese encephalitis vaccine
• Have a bleeding disorder or a reduction in blood platelets, which increases the risk of bleeding or bruising and cannot receive injections in the arm
• Have a weakened immune system
• Are or may be pregnant, or are breastfeeding
• Currently have any illness with a fever of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications and vaccines based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories – A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Ixiaro falls into category B. There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with Ixiaro. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this vaccination, and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this vaccine. Ixiaro should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is unknown if Ixiaro crosses into human milk. Because many medications and vaccines can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with the use of this vaccine, caution should be exercised if Ixiaro is administered to a nursing woman.

Ixiaro is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a muscle by a healthcare professional.

Ixiaro is given as an injection in the upper arm muscle in individuals 3 years of age and older.

Infants 2 to 11 months of age are given the vaccine into the thigh. 

Children 12 to 35 months of age may be given the vaccine into the arm muscle (if the muscle is large enough) or into the thigh.

Use this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

You will get a total of 2 doses of Ixiaro. Ideally, the doses are given as follows:

• First dose: at a date you and your healthcare provider choose
• Second dose: 28 days after the first dose

Make sure that you get both doses. If you miss the second dose, your healthcare provider will decide when to give the missed dose. Protection against Japanese encephalitis is not reliable until 1 week after you receive the second dose of Ixiaro.

If the the primary dose was administered more than 1 year ago, you should consult with your healthcare provider on the need for a booster dose of Ixiaro prior to potential re-exposure to the virus.

Since Ixiaro is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.