Yellow Fever Vaccine

What is the yellow fever vaccine?

The yellow fever vaccine has been used to prevent yellow fever since 1930. The CDC recommends a single-dose shot at least ten days before travel. A booster dose is recommended every ten years before traveling to some high-risk regions (E.g., Ghana). The yellow fever vaccine and International Certificate of Vaccination are given only at designated certified vaccination centers. Certificates (aka “Yellow fever card”) may be required to enter certain countries. The certificate is valid ten days after getting a shot. To learn more about the yellow fever vaccine, visit the CDC or the FDA YF-VAX websites.

How much is the Yellow fever vaccine?

Travel Clinic NY charges $240 for the Yellow fever vaccine plus $75 for the office visit fee.

Do I need a yellow fever vaccination?

Anyone older than 9 months of age who travels to or lives in a yellow fever country should consider getting the vaccination. [2] Vaccination-Yellow fever https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/yellow-fever/vaccination/

Who can not get the yellow fever vaccine?

The following category of people should not get the Yellow fever vaccine:

✓ Children younger than six months of age

✓ Severe allergy to any vaccine part: chicken protein, gelatin, and egg.

When should caution be advised about getting yellow fever immunization?

For the following category of people, the healthcare provider can help decide whether the vaccine is safe to take:

✓ HIV

✓ Thymus disorder

✓ Cancer or organ transplant

✓ Current drug therapy with oral steroids, chemotherapy, and other meds that affect immune function

✓ Adults 60 years of age and older

✓ Infants 6-8 months of age

✓ Pregnant women and nursing mothers

How do doctors decide? When the chance of getting yellow fever in the country you are visiting is higher than the chance of side effects, a vaccine is advised; if the opposite is true and there is a higher chance of getting side effects than infection, an exception letter can be issued.

What are the side effects of the yellow fever vaccine?

The most common adverse reactions are:

✓ Localized redness and soreness at the injection site

✓ Fever

✓ Headache

✓ Muscle aches.

Severe reactions occur rarely and include:

✓ Difficulty breathing and swallowing.

✓ Dizziness

✓ Palpitation (fast heartbeat)

✓ Nervous system reaction

For mild reactions, ibuprofen can be taken. For severe reactions, call 911

More on Yellow fever side effects here

In which countries is the yellow fever vaccine mandatory?

Here, you can find the list of countries requiring yellow fever vaccines.

How long does a yellow fever vaccine last for?

One dose of yellow fever vaccine provides lifelong protection for most travelers. [1, 3] Yellow Fever Vaccine
https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-fever/vaccine/index.html
Yellow fever
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/yellow-fever

Moreover, according to WHO, countries cannot require proof of revaccination even if the traveler's last vaccine was more than 10 years ago.

ACIP, unlike WHO, advises specific categories of people to get a yellow fever vaccine booster (every ten years), such as:

✓ Traveling to endemic areas (West Africa)

✓ People who got stem cell transplants for blood cancer

✓ HIV patients