Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate
Some countries require a certificate showing you have been vaccinated before you’re allowed entry.
This is known as an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis .
All vaccination certificates are now valid for life, including older ones with an expiry date on them. You’ll be given a certificate when you’re vaccinated at a yellow fever vaccination centre.
Check the country information on the TravelHealthPro website or with a yellow fever vaccination centre to see if you need a certificate for the area you’re visiting.
A certificate is not needed for entry into the UK.
Keep your certificate safe and make a copy for your records.
If you lose your certificate, you may be able to get another one reissued if you have a copy showing full details of the vaccination batch number and the date you had the vaccination.
Side Effects Not Requiring Immediate Medical Attention
Some side effects of yellow fever vaccine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.
Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Less common
- pain at the injection site
- swollen joints
Applies to yellow fever vaccine: injectable powder for injection, subcutaneous powder for injection
Who Should Not Get The Yellow Fever Vaccine
Some people should not get the yellow fever vaccine, including:
- People who have had a life-threatening allergic reaction to the yellow fever vaccine or any of the ingredients in the vaccine
- Infants younger than 6 months
- People with a weakened immune system from ongoing medical conditions like HIV , a disorder of the thymus , and B- and T-lymphocyte or phagocytic function deficiencies
- People who have cancerous tumors
- People who have had an organ or bone marrow transplant in the past 2 years
- People who are getting radiation treatment
Some people may be at increased risk for having a reaction to the yellow fever vaccine but the benefit of the vaccine may still outweigh the risk. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of getting the yellow fever vaccine if you are:
- Age 60 and older
- Infected with HIV but dont have symptoms
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
Youll also need to discuss the benefits and risks of vaccination for your child if they’re between 6 and 8 months old.
Side effects are usually mild and go away in a few days. They may include:
- Pain, swelling, or redness where the shot was given
- Low fever
- Muscle aches
Serious side effects from the yellow fever vaccine are very rare.
Like any medicine, there’s a very small chance that the yellow fever vaccine could cause a serious reaction. Learn more about vaccine side effects.
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Simultaneous Administration With Other Vaccines
YF vaccine may be administered concomitantly with the following vaccines: measles, mumps, rubella, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, oral cholera, and oral or parenteral typhoid. Different injection sites and separate needles and syringes must be used for concomitant parenteral injections. If not given concurrently, a minimal interval of 4 weeks is recommended between administration of YF vaccine and other live parenteral vaccines. Oral typhoid or oral cholera vaccine can be administered at any interval before or after YF vaccine. There are no data available regarding possible interference between YF vaccine and rabies, human papillomavirus, Japanese encephalitis, live attenuated influenza, or varicella vaccines. Refer to Timing of Vaccine Administration in Part 1 for additional general information.
How Long Should A Woman Wait To Conceive After Receiving A Yellow Fever Vaccination
Yellow fever vaccination has not been known to cause any birth defects when given to pregnant women. Yellow fever vaccine has been given to many pregnant women without any apparent adverse effects on the fetus. However, since yellow fever vaccine is a live virus vaccine, it poses a theoretical risk. While a two week delay between yellow fever vaccination and conception is probably adequate, a one month delay has been advocated as a more conservative approach. If a woman is inadvertently or of necessity vaccinated during pregnancy, she is unlikely to have any problems from the vaccine and her baby is very likely to be born healthy.
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Why Is The Yellow Fever Vaccine Important
Most people who get yellow fever will only get a mild form of the disease. But in some cases, people with yellow fever can develop serious complications including organ failure or bleeding. Serious cases of yellow fever can be deadly.
If youre planning to travel to parts of South America or Africa where yellow fever is common, or you work in a lab studying yellow fever, getting vaccinated can protect you.
Yellow fever is caused by a virus. Most people who get yellow fever recover after mild symptoms, including:
- Fever and chills
- Upset stomach and throwing up
- Feeling tired and weak
About 15 out of 100 people who get yellow fever go on to develop more serious symptoms:
- Jaundice
- Bleeding from multiple parts of the body
- Liver, kidney, lung, and other organ failures
Yellow fever does not spread from person to person, like through touching or kissing. The virus that causes yellow fever is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Learn more about yellow fever.
Immunisation Against Yellow Fever
If you are travelling or passing through areas infected with yellow fever, some countries require you to be vaccinated. A record of your immunisation must be entered and validated in your International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis by a healthcare provider that is authorised by the WHO to vaccinate against yellow fever.Although some countries have no entry requirements, others may require proof of vaccination for all travellers in order to satisfy entry requirements. You can find out if the countries you intend to visit have requirements for yellow fever vaccination by checking the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Smartraveller website, or asking your GP when you have your appointment.It is best to arrange an appointment with your GP or a travel clinic doctor 6 to 8 weeks prior to departure in case a series of vaccines are needed. Yellow fever vaccine should be given at least 10 days before entering a country where immunisation is a legal requirement in order to avoid quarantine procedures.Immunisation against yellow fever only requires a single dose of vaccine, which usually gives most people lifetime immunity. Also, in most cases, once you have been vaccinated, the certificate is valid for life.
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Who May Be Able To Have The Vaccine In Some Circumstances
If you’re not sure whether you can have the yellow fever vaccine, ask a travel health specialist at the vaccination centre. They’ll do a full risk assessment based on your or your child’s medical history and where you’re travelling to.
People who may be able to have the vaccine include:
- those aged 60 and over only when travel to a high-risk area is unavoidable
- those who are pregnant if travel to a high-risk area is unavoidable
- those who are breastfeeding expert advice is needed for women who are breastfeeding babies under 9 months
- those with long-term inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis if on low-dose steroid therapy
- babies from 6 months to under 9 months of age if travel is unavoidable and risk is high, expert advice is needed
- those living with HIV only after specialist advice
Take extra care to prevent insect bites while travelling if you have not been vaccinated.
Rationale For Yellow Fever Vaccine Booster Dose Recommendations
The GRADE evaluation found that there are few vaccine failures documented after a primary dose of yellow fever vaccine, most primary vaccine recipients maintain detectable levels of neutralizing antibodies 10 years post-vaccination, and few serious adverse events have been reported after a booster dose of yellow fever vaccine . Based on the available data, ACIP voted to no longer recommend booster dose of yellow fever vaccine for most travelers, because a single dose of yellow fever vaccine provides long-lasting protection . However, additional doses of yellow fever vaccine are recommended for certain populations who might not have as robust or sustained immune response to yellow fever vaccine compared with other recipients. Furthermore, additional doses may be given to certain groups believed to be at increased risk for yellow fever disease either because of their location and duration of travel or because of more consistent exposure to virulent virus . ACIP meeting minutes are available at .
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For More Information Visit The Following Links:
On February 26, 2015, the ACIP voted that a single dose of yellow fever vaccine provides long-lasting protection and is adequate for most travelers. This recommendation was established based on reviewing available information about the safety and long-term protection offered by yellow fever vaccine. The World Health Organization made similar recommendations in 2013, stating one dose of yellow fever vaccine is sufficient to provide lifelong protection. The current recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, however, note certain people who should receive additional dose of yellow fever vaccine because of an impaired immune response to the vaccine or because they will be at increased risk for yellow fever disease. Click here for detailed information.
Epidemic Preparedness And Response
Prompt detection of yellow fever and rapid response through emergency vaccination campaigns are essential for controlling outbreaks. However, underreporting is a concern the true number of cases is estimated to be 10 to 250 times what is now being reported.
WHO recommends that every at-risk country have at least one national laboratory where basic yellow fever blood tests can be performed. A confirmed case of yellow fever in an unvaccinated population is considered an outbreak. A confirmed case in any context must be fully investigated. Investigation teams must assess and respond to the outbreak with both emergency measures and longer-term immunization plans.
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What If My Card Is Soiled Or Damaged
A soiled or damaged vaccine card does not nullify its validity. If the card is soiled or damaged to the point where the vaccinated individuals name or date of birth are illegible, then a new card may need to be issued. By contacting the correct facilities or organizations, an individual can get a new yellow card. The new card issued will still be valid from 10 days after the person was vaccinated with no date of expiration.
Yellow Fever Vaccination For Travellers
On 16 June 2016, the Australian Government adopted the World Health Organization amendment to the International Health Regulations regarding the period of protection afforded by yellow fever vaccination, and the term of validity of the certificate. The period of protection and term of validity has changed from 10 years to the duration of the life of the person vaccinated. This is based on data demonstrating for the majority of recipients, a single dose of yellow fever vaccine results in life-long immunity.
International yellow fever vaccination certificates presented at Australias border will be accepted even if the vaccination was given more than ten years ago. Individuals who cannot provide a yellow fever vaccination certificate at the border will still be required to go through border control processes when entering Australia. As is current practice, entry to Australia will not be refused on the basis of non-compliance with yellow fever monitoring and control requirements.
Vaccination is still strongly recommended for travellers who have never been vaccinated for yellow fever and who intend to travel to countries where there is a risk of transmission. Border biosecurity processes will remain in place for unvaccinated travellers.
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Yellow Fever Vaccine Booster Dose Safety Data
Serious adverse events, yellow fever vaccineassociated viscerotropic disease , and yellow fever vaccine-associated neurologic disease were considered critical risks to assess the need for yellow fever vaccine booster doses .
Serious adverse events. Nine observational studies provided data on serious adverse events for 333 million distributed doses of yellow fever vaccine . Overall, 1,255 persons were reported to have a serious adverse event after yellow fever vaccination. For most persons, it was unknown if the adverse event occurred after a primary or booster dose of the vaccine. Of the 201 persons with a serious adverse event where dose type was known, 14 of the adverse events occurred after a booster dose of vaccine.
Viscerotropic disease. Eight observational studies provided data on viscerotropic disease for 437 million distributed doses of yellow fever vaccine . A total of 72 persons had yellow fever vaccineassociated viscerotropic disease. Of the 31 persons where dose type was known, one had viscerotropic disease after receiving a booster dose of the vaccine no laboratory testing to assess vaccine causality was performed for that case.
Efficacy Effectiveness And Immunogenicity
Efficacy and effectiveness
Efficacy studies of YF vaccine have not been performed however, unpublished reports comparing YF incidence among vaccinated and unvaccinated populations during a 1986 epidemic in Nigeria estimated vaccine effectiveness to be approximately 85%.
Immunogenicity
More than 80% of persons immunized with YF vaccine develop neutralizing antibodies 10 days after vaccination and more than 99% by 28 days after vaccination. Immunity persists for more than 10 years.
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Yellow Fever Vaccine May Be The Last Thing On Many Holidaymakers Minds Before They Vacate To Their Exotic Destination But The Jab Can Stop You Getting The Disease Particularly If Youre Travelling To An Area Where The Infection Is Found How Long Does The Vaccination Last And When Do You Need To Get It
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Yellow fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes. It affects the liver and kidneys, causing fever and jaundice and can be fatal.
The vaccine to prevent yellow fever is very effective and is given as an injection into your upper arm.
But how long does the vaccination last and when do you need to get it?
The yellow fever vaccine is recommended for people from the age of nine months who are travelling.
If you are travelling to most of sub-Saharan Africa, most of South America, and parts of Central America and the Caribbean its recommended you get it.
People Who Should Not Receive Yellow Fever Vaccination
The vaccine is not suitable for everyone and should not be given to people who:
- are under 9 months of age
- have had a severe allergic reaction to an earlier dose of the vaccine
- have had severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine
- have allergies to eggs
- have a weakened immune system due to illness or medical treatment
- have a history of a thymic disorder including myasthenia gravis, thymoma, thymectomy, DiGeorge syndrome, or cases of damage to the thymus from chemotherapy, radiotherapy or as a result of complications after transplantation.
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What Happens If I Miss A Dose
Talk with your doctor if you are receiving this vaccine less than 10 days prior to your arrival in an area where you may be exposed to the yellow fever virus.
Be sure you receive a booster dose of yellow fever vaccine every 10 years if you continue to travel or live in areas where yellow fever is common. If you do not receive the vaccine every 10 years, you may not be fully protected against the disease.
How Can Travellers Protect Against Yellow Fever
Yellow fever is preventable. The vaccine is safe and almost 100 percent effective. With few exceptions, vaccination is recommended for all travellers to countries or areas where there is a risk of yellow fever transmission.
The mosquitoes that transmit yellow fever are usually active during the day. All people who travel to or live in yellow fever endemic countries are advised to avoid mosquitoes. This can be done by taking the following measures:
- Wear a mosquito repellent containing DEET or picaridin
- Wear light coloured, long-sleeved clothes when youre outdoors
- Avoid wearing perfume or cologne
- Prevent mosquitoes entering your accommodation
- Use a mosquito net at night-time
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Concerns About Side Effects
If a reaction following immunisation is unexpected, persistent or severe, or if you are worried, see your GP or immunisation provider as soon as possible ,or go directly to a hospital.
In Victoria, immunisation side effects may be reported to SAEFVIC the central reporting service for any significant adverse events following immunisations.
You can discuss with your immunisation provider how to report adverse events in other states or territories. It is also important to seek medical advice if you are unwell, as this may be due to other illness rather than because of the vaccination.
What If I Lose My Card
Since the yellow fever card never expires, you can continue using the same one for life. What happens, though, if you lose or misplace your card? Theres no need to panic if this happens. Try to get in touch with the healthcare facility where you were vaccinated. If you were vaccinated as part of an endemic response campaign, contact one of the organizations that were involved in putting together the vaccination events. After giving them the necessary details, they should be able to access your vaccination records and issue you a new yellow card.
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