West Nile Vaccine

There is currently no West Nile vaccine available to protect humans from the West Nile virus. Although there is a West Nile vaccine that is licensed for use in horses, the vaccine is not approved for use in humans. Scientists are currently working on a vaccine for humans. It is hoped that the vaccine will be available in the next few years.

 

A Summary of the West Nile Vaccine

There is currently no vaccine available to protect humans from the West Nile virus. Scientists are working on this issue, and there is hope that a West Nile vaccine will become available in the next few years.
 

West Nile Vaccine for Horses

There is a West Nile vaccine licensed for use in horses. Some people wonder whether humans should take this vaccine. The answer is no. This West Nile vaccine has not been studied in humans and could be harmful. The effectiveness of this vaccine in preventing West Nile virus infections in horses has yet to be fully evaluated, and its effectiveness in humans is completely unknown.
 
Also, veterinary vaccines are not manufactured with the same rigorous quality and purity standards required for human vaccines, nor are they required to undergo the extensive field testing required of human vaccines before they are licensed. For these reasons, veterinary vaccines, including the West Nile vaccine, should never be used in humans.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD