Improving community coverage of Japanese encephalitis vaccination: lessons learned from a mass campaign in Battambang Province, Cambodia

A mass Japanese encephalitis (JE) immunization campaign for children aged 9 months through 12 years was conducted in 2013 in Battambang province, western Cambodia. Vaccinators working at almost 2,000 immunization posts in approximately 800 villages provided vaccinations to almost 310,000 children using one dose of Chengdu Institute of Biological Products' live, attenuated SA14-14-2 JE vaccine (CD-JEV), achieving a coverage rate of greater than 90%. Lessons learned, in general for mass vaccination campaigns and specifically for vaccination with CD-JEV, are described. These observations will be of benefit for public health officials and to help inform planning for future campaigns for JE or other vaccine-preventable diseases in Cambodia and elsewhere.

Automated summary

This article describes the lessons learned from a mass Japanese encephalitis (JE) immunization campaign conducted in Battambang province, Cambodia in 2013, and the specific observations for vaccination with the CD-JEV vaccine. These findings will be beneficial for public health officials and future planning for JE or other vaccine-preventable diseases in Cambodia and other regions.