Quick Facts About the Yellow Fever Vaccine

What is Yellow Fever?

Yellow fever is a virus spread by mosquitos in South America and African countries. The disease can affect humans and non-human primates. 

Yellow fever symptoms can include fever, vomiting, chills, body aches, severe headache, and more. Some people develop severe symptoms which include a high fever, yellow skin/jaundice, organ failure, bleeding, and shock. About 30-60% of those who develop severe symptoms die. 

There is no medicine or treatment to cure yellow fever, so vaccination is the best prevention.

Where can I find the yellow fever vaccine in Arizona?

At Away Clinic we offer yellow fever vaccines to travelers at all of our clinics. See our locations page for more information. 

Schedule an appointment at your local Away Clinic to get vaccinated and receive your International Certificate of Vaccination (also known as a ‘yellow card’). This roughly passport-sized, foldable yellow vaccine card can be used to enter any country where proof of yellow fever vaccination is required. 

Yellow fever vaccines are recommended for everyone over 9 months of age who will be traveling to areas with high risk of yellow fever including many countries in Africa and South America. Certain medical conditions may prohibit you from receiving the vaccine, please talk to your Away Clinic travel health specialist for more details.

How much does yellow fever vaccination cost?

See our pricing page for the most up-to-date pricing information.

Do I need a yellow fever vaccination?

The yellow fever vaccination is recommended by the CDC or required for many international travelers. Depending on what countries you plan to visit, your age and health factors, you may need the yellow fever vaccination. 

Many countries in Africa require proof of yellow fever vaccination (typically must be administered at least 10 days prior to arrival in destination country). It is recommended for other destinations in Africa and South America.

How do I get a yellow fever vaccine certificate for international travel?

Some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination to enter. If you are visiting multiple countries, the sequence of your travels may impact whether the yellow fever vaccine is required or not. 

Spending 12 hours or more (even just a plane layover) in a country with high risk of yellow fever transmission may lead your next destination to require you to be vaccinated for yellow fever.

Only Arizona state-certified yellow fever vaccination clinics can give the yellow fever vaccination in Arizona. The U.S. CDC maintains a list of all certified yellow fever clinics in the country. Away Clinic is a certified yellow fever vaccination center and keeps the yellow fever vaccine in stock at all of its clinics. 

Additionally, we are able to provide an international (yellow) vaccine card with stamped proof of immunization that can help you get a visa or gain entry to several destinations in Africa. We provide this as a standard part of our service so you don't have to request it.

What if My Yellow Card Says it is Expired?

If you received a yellow card previously, at Away Clinic we can transcribe your information to a new yellow card. The World Health Organization discontinued the 10-year booster rule back in May 2014, so a single yellow fever shot is now good for life.

At Away Clinic, you can have your yellow fever vaccination transcribed to a new yellow card in addition to your most recent travel vaccinations such as tetanus, typhoid, and more. Showing this card to your travel health providers helps them easily determine which vaccinations need updating.

Who should not get the yellow fever vaccine?

YF-VAX should not be administered to

• Anyone who has experienced a serious allergic reaction to eggs, egg products, or to any component of the vaccine (including gelatin). A severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) may occur following the use of YF-VAX, even in individuals with no prior history of hypersensitivity to the vaccine components.

• Infants younger than 9 months of age due to an increased risk of inflammation of the brain (encephalitis)

• Women who are breastfeeding infants younger than 9 months of age

• Severely immunocompromised individuals

• Serious, but rare, adverse events occur more often in individuals 60 years of age and over. In such cases, the vaccine can cause inflammation of the brain and lead to problems with other organs.

How do I get a yellow fever vaccine waiver?

If you are over 60 years old or in poor health, you may not safely be able to get the yellow fever vaccine. The vaccine is a live virus so it can harm someone with a weakened immune system.

In such cases Away Clinic, as a yellow fever vaccination center, can provide a yellow fever vaccine waiver that should still allow you to travel wherever you want to go without risking potentially harmful side effects of the vaccine.

Is the yellow fever vaccine safe and effective?

The yellow fever vaccine (YF-Vax) is a live vaccine manufactured by Sanofi that has been used to protect against yellow fever for over eighty years. It is considered to be extremely safe and provides up to 99% immunity for life.

How long does the yellow fever immunization last?

Most people only need one yellow fever vaccine for lifelong immunity, but a booster may be recommended if it has been over 10 years since your last vaccination and your destination has had ongoing outbreaks of yellow fever because the initial immunity may wear off slightly over time.

How can I avoid getting yellow fever and other mosquito-borne illnesses?

The yellow fever vaccine is very effective. But even if you are up to date on immunizations it's good to take precautions against mosquito bites. Many mosquito-borne illnesses are not vaccine-preventable so other disease control steps are necessary. Thus we recommend:

• Using insect repellent (DEET, lemon of eucalyptus, and picaridin are all ingredients to look for)

• Wearing the right clothing (Long sleeve shirts, pants, and tall socks are best for outdoor activities to decrease the likelihood of a mosquito bite)

• Being aware of the time (mosquitos are most active at dusk and dawn)

See our safe travel guide for mosquito prevention supply recommendations.

When and Where is Yellow Fever a Higher Risk?

South American and African countries are the main areas where yellow fever is most prevalent. Yellow fever is more common at lower altitudes and tropical climates. Areas with a lot of standing water are breeding grounds for mosquitoes to lay eggs. Areas without much moisture are less likely to be a proper environment for mosquito populations.

The most active yellow fever transmission countries include Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Uganda.

In South America, the rainy season is January to May with a peak in February and March. 

The wet season is the highest risk for yellow fever; listed in the table below are the rainy seasons for different parts of Africa:

What are the side effects of the yellow fever shot?

The yellow fever vaccine is a live virus vaccine so you can feel a little bit sick after receiving it. These side effects could include fever, muscle aches and headaches in about 3% to 7% of yellow fever vaccine recipients and injection site pain, redness or swelling in about 1% to 3% of vaccine recipients [1]. 

If you have a more severe reaction such as difficulty breathing you should see a medical doctor. Severe side effects are rare. The most common side effects are pain, swelling, and rash at the injection site.

Is the yellow fever vaccine safe for pregnant women?

According to the CDC, yellow fever vaccine poses a theoretical risk in pregnancy since it's a live virus vaccine, although it's been given to many pregnant women without apparent adverse fetal effects. 

Pregnant women should avoid travel to yellow fever-risk areas or discuss vaccination with a doctor if travel is unavoidable. A one-month delay between vaccination and conception is advised, but if vaccinated during pregnancy, problems are unlikely.

Why is the yellow fever vaccine so hard to find?

The yellow fever vaccine is often challenging to find locally due to two main reasons. 

Firstly, its administration is restricted to Arizona state-certified yellow fever clinics, limiting the number of facilities that can offer it. This certification process ensures that clinics adhere to strict guidelines and quality standards for handling and administering the vaccine. 

Secondly, maintaining a stock of the yellow fever vaccine is expensive, and the demand is relatively low for most people. Only a small percentage, approximately 1/2%, of international travelers from the USA venture to Africa where yellow fever is required for entry into many countries. 

Consequently, healthcare providers must carefully manage their vaccine inventory, prioritizing more commonly required vaccines for local public health needs. The combination of limited certified clinics and low demand leads to reduced availability of the yellow fever vaccine, making it a challenge for those seeking immunization before traveling to high-risk areas. Luckily, we do continuously keep a stock of yellow fever vaccine available at all Away Clinic locations.

What is the yellow fever vaccine composed of and how is it manufactured?

YF-VAX®, the Yellow Fever Vaccine for subcutaneous use, is made by cultivating the 17D-204 strain of the yellow fever virus in living avian leukosis virus-free (ALV-free) chicken embryos. The vaccine is then lyophilized (freeze-dried) and hermetically sealed under nitrogen.

It does not contain any preservatives.

The vaccine includes sorbitol and gelatin as stabilizers to maintain its potency and stability. Each vial of the vaccine is supplied with a separate vial of sterile diluent, which is Sodium Chloride Injection USP without a preservative. The vaccine is formulated to contain a minimum of 4.74 log10 plaque-forming units (PFU) per 0.5 mL dose throughout its shelf life.

This vaccine is designed to provide immunity against yellow fever, and it is considered safe and effective for subcutaneous administration. It is an essential vaccine for travelers to areas with a risk of yellow fever transmission and for those residing in regions where the disease is endemic.

Sources

Camacho, L. A. B., Aguiar, S. G. D., Freire, M. D. S., Leal, M. D. L. F., Nascimento, J. P. D., Iguchi, T., ... & Farias, R. H. G. (2005). Reactogenicity of yellow fever vaccines in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Revista de Saúde Pública, 39, 413-420.