Yellow Fever Vaccinations across the UK

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Yellow Fever Vaccinations across the UK

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Yellow Fever is a serious viral infection thats
usually spread by a type of daytime biting
mosquito known as the Aedes aegypti. It can be
prevented with a vaccination. Yellow fever
mainly occurs in sub-Saharan Africa (countries to
the south of the Sahara desert), South America
(especially the Amazon) and in parts of the
Caribbean. Yellow fever can be fatal. About 8
of people who get yellow fever die from it.

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Luckily, there is a very effective vaccination
for yellow fever. Some countries require proof of
vaccination (a certificate) against yellow fever
before they let you enter the country. Vaccinatio
n is the single most effective way of preventing
yellow fever. In the UK, Stamaril (produced by
Sanofi Pasteur MSD) is the only licensed yellow
fever vaccine. A single dose of the yellow fever
vaccine will protect against yellow fever for
life. It is no longer recommended to have a
booster dose every 10 years (WHO, World Health
Organisation, July 2016).

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Ideally, you should have the yellow fever
vaccination at least 10 days before your travel.
This will allow enough time for your body to
develop protective antibodies against the yellow
fever infection.

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The yellow fever vaccination is recommended for
Anyone traveling to, or living in, areas or
countries where yellow fever is endemic. Anyone
traveling to a country where an International
Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP)
against yellow fever is required for entry. You
must have a yellow fever vaccination at least 10
days before you travel. This will allow enough
time for your body to develop protective
antibodies against the yellow fever infection.

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Certificate of proof of vaccination
Under regulations set out by the World Health
Organization (WHO), anyone traveling to a country
or area where the Aedes aegypti mosquito is found
must have the vaccine or have an International
Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis
(ICVP). You can find a list of all the countries
that require you to have an ICVP in the WHO
International travel and health guide. You can
also search the country information on NaTHNaC to
find out whether the places you are visiting
require an ICVP. If you have been traveling in
an at-risk area during the past month, it is a
good idea to carry your certificate with you.
This will help avoid potential problems with
immigration. It is possible for travelers without
a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate to
be vaccinated and held in isolation for up to 10
days. An ICVP is not required for entry into the
UK.

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If you lose your certificate, you may be able to
get another one reissued as long as you have
details of the vaccination batch number and the
date you had the vaccination. Always consult
staff at a designated vaccination centre if you
are planning to travel to an area where there is
a risk of getting yellow fever. If you tell them
where you are traveling to, they will be able to
advise you about whether you need to be
vaccinated against yellow fever and whether you
need an ICVP.

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Who should not be vaccinated?
People who should not have the yellow fever
vaccination include Babies under nine months of
age babies who are six to nine months old
should only be vaccinated if the risk of getting
yellow fever during travel is unavoidable Pregnan
t women unless the risk of yellow fever is
unavoidable Breastfeeding women unless the
risk of yellow fever is unavoidable People whose
immune systems are lowered (immunosuppressed)
such as people with HIV and those receiving
chemotherapy or radiotherapy People who are
allergic to eggs the vaccine contains small
amounts of egg white protein, albumin.

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People who have had a severe allergic reaction
(anaphylaxis) to a previous dose of the yellow
fever vaccine People who are allergic to any of
the ingredients in the vaccine (including
eggs) People who have a condition that affects
the thymus gland (part of your immune system that
is located in your upper chest) People who are
currently very unwell (such as with a high fever)
this is to avoid confusing the diagnosis of
your current illness with any side effects from
the vaccine Yellow fever naïve travellers
those who have not been previously exposed to the
vaccine who are 60 years of age or over should be
individually assessed by the travel doctor or
nurse.

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Exemption letters
In cases where having a yellow fever vaccination
is not advised, your GP may be able to issue you
with an exemption letter. The letter should be
written on headed notepaper and include the
practice details. It may be accepted by some
immigration authorities although this is not
guaranteed. If you are traveling from an area
where there is a risk of yellow fever without a
valid yellow fever certificate, immigration
officials are legally entitled to quarantine you
for a period of at least seven days at the point
of arrival into a country.

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Side effects of the vaccine
After having the yellow fever vaccine, 10-30 of
people will have mild side effects such as
headache, muscle pain, soreness at the injection
site and mild fever. Reactions at the injection
site usually occur one to five days after being
vaccinated, although other side effects may last
for up to two weeks. An allergic reaction to the
vaccine occurs in one case out of every 130,000
doses of the vaccine that are given. Yellow fever
vaccine-associated neurological disease (YEL-AND)

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Rarely, the yellow fever vaccine is associated
with a neurological condition known as yellow
fever vaccine-associated neurological disease
(YEL-AND). Neurological means that it affects the
nerves and the nervous system, including the
brain and spinal cord. YEL-AND occurs in around
four cases out of every 1 million doses given.
However, for people who are 60 years of age or
over and yellow fever vaccine naïve, the
incidence of YEL-AND increases to around one in
every 50,000. This needs to be balanced against
the risk of acquiring the disease.

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Preventing mosquito bites
As well as getting the yellow fever vaccination
before traveling, you should also take steps to
avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. The mosquitoes
that carry yellow fever bite during daylight
hours. Although it may not always be possible,
you should try to Avoid places where mosquitoes
live, such as swamps, forests and jungles Choose
air-conditioned accommodation. Mosquitoes do not
like air-conditioned spaces.

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Choose accommodation with mesh screening over the
windows and doors. Wear loose fitting,
long-sleeved tops and trousers, even in the heat
of day. Use insect repellent containing DEET on
exposed skin, such as Jungle Formula. 50 DEET is
sufficient. Burn a mosquito coil or use a
plug-in device that releases insecticide in your
accommodation. Use a mosquito net where
possible, especially in bedrooms that are not
air-conditioned.

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Contact
Phone [phone] Nottingham 0114 3583930
Sheffield Email info_at_travel-doc.com Website
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