Off-Label Yellow Fever and Hepatitis A Vaccination in Traveling Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Vaccinology
• Travel Medicine

Background:

• Growing travel to yellow fever (YF) and hepatitis A (HA) endemic regions necessitates expanded pediatric vaccination.
• Limited data exist on the safety of off-label YF and HA vaccination in young children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess adverse effects (AEs) of off-label YF and HA vaccination in infants under 12 months.
• To evaluate the safety profile for potentially expanding vaccine use in the pediatric population.

Main Methods:

• Ambispective analysis of 94 children under 12 months receiving off-label YF or HA vaccines.
• YF vaccine given to 6-9 month olds and egg-allergic children (with negative prick test).
• HA vaccine administered to 6-12 month olds.

Main Results:

• No immediate adverse effects were reported following vaccination.
• Mild common AEs (diarrhea, fever, malaise) occurred in 10.8% of patients within 10 days.
• Overall AE rate for off-label YF and HA vaccination was low.

Conclusions:

• Off-label vaccination for yellow fever and hepatitis A in infants under 12 months appears safe.
• The low incidence of adverse events supports considering these vaccines for broader pediatric use.