Yellow Fever Vaccine

What is Yellow Fever Vaccine?

This vaccine comes under IAP recommended vaccines for High-risk children (Vaccines under special circumstances).

Yellow fever is a serious disease caused by the yellow fever virus. It is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito and cannot be spread directly from person to person.
Yellow fever can cause:
  • Fever and flu-like illness
  • Jaundice (yellow skin or eyes)
  • Liver, kidney, respiratory and other organ system failure
  • Vomiting blood
  • Death
Travelers should consult CDC’s travel information website at Yellow fever vaccine for travellers to determine requirements and regulations for vaccination.

Yellow Fever Vaccine Immunization Schedule

The World Health Organization recommends the vaccine between the ages of 9 and 12 months in areas where the disease is common. Anyone over the age of 9 months who has not been previously immunized and either lives in or are travelling to an area were the disease occurs should also be immunized.

Effectiveness

The International Health Regulations require revaccination at intervals of 10 years. Evidence from multiple studies demonstrates that yellow fever vaccine immunity persists for 30– 35 years and probably for life.

Side Effects

Mild Problems
Yellow fever vaccine has been associated with fever, and with aches, soreness, redness or swelling where the shot was given.
These problems occur in up to 1 person out of 4. They usually begin soon after the shot, and can last up to a week.

Severe Problems
  • Severe allergic reaction to a vaccine component (about 1 person in 55,000).
  • Severe nervous system reaction (about 1 person in 125,000).
  • Life-threatening severe illness with organ failure (about 1 person in 250,000). More than half the people who suffer this side effect die.
These last two problems have never been reported after a booster dose.