Yellow Fever Confusion?

Yellow Fever is the vaccine that causes the most confusion for our clients.  Travellers attend the clinic believing they need the vaccine when in fact they don’t and more concerning, many travellers think that they don’t need the vaccine when they are very much at risk of yellow fever and should be getting protected.

So what are the facts of yellow fever vaccination?

Yellow Fever is found in some countries within South America and Africa.

The fact that a country has no requirement for a traveller to get yellow fever vaccination does not mean that there is no risk of yellow fever.

Yellow Fever vaccination is given for 2 reasons:

 1: to protect an individual from getting the disease

2: to protect countries from having the disease imported or spreading within a country.

Often, countries that require proof of yellow fever vaccination to enter do not actually have the disease.   Because they do not want the disease introduced, travellers arriving from or transiting through a country that has yellow fever might be required to show proof of yellow fever vaccination.

It is spread by mosquitoes that bite during the day and early evening.

In some countries, the risk of yellow fever can vary throughout the country.

Contracting yellow fever can be fatal

Prevention is through vaccination which is safe, effective and lasts for 10 years.

The vaccine can only be given at registered yellow fever centres where an assessment of a traveller’s trip will be carried out to determine if the vaccine is required.