Canberrans planning on travelling to high-risk Japanese Encephalitis (JE) areas for outdoor recreational activities are being urged to get vaccinated.

Under the expanded program, anyone aged 2 months or older planning travel to a JE high risk area in Australia, is eligible to receive a government‑funded vaccine if they intend to take part in activities such as caravanning, camping, hunting, boating, hiking or fishing.

 While JE virus has not been detected in mosquitoes or in humans in the ACT, the expanded eligibility in the territory follows NSW and Victoria, which recently announced government funded vaccine eligibility changes.

Protection from the vaccine can take up to two weeks to develop, so the community is being urged to plan ahead.