Yellow fever

This is an article about health issues. While contributors do their best, we cannot take account of your individual health needs. Consult your doctor for individual medical advice. About Yellow Fever Yellow fever is a tropical disease caused by a virus transmitted by the mosquito Aedes. Its symptoms include fever, jaundice (hence the name), and bloody vomit, and it can cause death. Be sure to take precautions against mosquito bites if you are visiting a country where yellow fever is present. Vaccination A vaccine is available which provides immunity for at least ten years. Many countries will require that you be vaccinated against yellow fever if you are coming from a country where it is present or have been in such a country within the last 6 days (the incubation period). If this is the case you will need to present a "World Health Organisation International Certificate of Vaccination" with an appropriately dated certification on the "International Certificate of Vaccination or Revaccination Against Yellow Fever" page to immigration officials. This little yellow booklet will be given to you when you are vaccinated against yellow fever for the first time. Carry it with your passport: you'll typically present them to immigration officials at the same time. It is generally easiest to get a yellow fever vaccination in your home country before you leave on your trip. The vaccination is not in the normal vaccination schedules of many countries outside the infected areas since it is unnecessary unless you are travelling and has a somewhat higher risk of complications than many other vaccines. You will need to especially request a yellow fever vaccination from a designated yellow fever vaccination center. Immunity is considered to start 10 days from the time of the vaccination, so be sure to get vaccinated 10 days before you enter an infected country. The vaccine is live and not entirely inactive: many people have mild flu-like symptoms for a couple of days after receiving this vaccine, so it would be good not to be planning anything strenuous in those days. Depending on how the vaccine is cultivated, you may need to allow about half an hour for a yellow fever vaccination as you will be observed for an allergic reaction after it is administered. Vaccination requirements The following countries require or recommend immunization against yellow fever: North America Canada does not require visitors to be immunized. USA does not require visitors to be immunized. Mexico does not require visitors to be immunized. Central America Guatemala requires visitors from infected areas to be immunized. Belize requires visitors from infected areas to be immunized. Honduras requires visitors from infected areas to be immunized. El Salvador requires visitors from infected areas to be immunized. Nicaragua requires visitors from infected areas to be immunized. Costa Rica does not require visitors to be immunized. Panama recommends visitors to Chepo, Darién, and San Blas to be immunized. South America Brazil requires visitors from infected areas to be immunized. Yellow fever is endemic in Maranhão, Tocantins, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, parts of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Paraná, and all states northwest. French Guiana requires all visitors to be immunized. Surinam requires visitors from infected areas to be immunized. Guyana requires visitors from infected areas to be immunized. Venezuela does not require visitors to be immunized. Colombia recommends that visitors to ... be immunized. Ecuador requires visitors from infected areas to be immunized. Peru requires visitors from infected areas to be immunized. Visitors to the jungle are recommended to be immunized. Bolivia requires visitors from infected areas to be immunized. Yellow fever is endemic in... Chile does not require visitors to be immunized. Argentina does not require visitors to be immunized. Paraguay requires visitors from and to infected areas to be immunized. Uruguay does not require visitors to be immunized. Europe Asia Africa Ghana requires visitors to be immunized and present the yellow fever certificate upon entry. Australasia Australia requires all travellers from infected areas to be immunized New Zealand does not require visitors to be immunized Papua New Guinea requires all travellers from infected areas to be immunised East Timor does not require visitors to be immunized Indonesia requires all travellers from infected or endemic areas to be immunized