Is there a vaccine against West Nile encephalitis? There is no human vaccine for WNV.
• Should people take the West Nile virus vaccine that is licensed for use in horses? No. This 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. Veterinary vaccines are not manufactured with the same standards required of 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 and other veterinary drugs should never be used in humans.
