Yellow Fever

Learn more about Yellow Fever

What is Yellow Fever?

Yellow fever is a viral illness, carried by some species of mosquitoes in Central and South America, and in tropical regions of Africa. A mild attack may have symptoms similar to those of the flu. More severe symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, bleeding, abdominal pains and yellowing of the skin as a result of liver damage.

Where Is It?

Yellow Fever is a viral disease endemic in the Sub-Saharan Africa and South America.

Countries with Risk Yellow Fever Transmission

Countries with Risk Yellow Fever Transmission

Africa		Central and South America
Angola	Kenya2	Argentina2
Benin	Liberia	Bolivia2
Burkina Faso	Mali2	Brazil2
Cameroon	Niger2	Ecuador2
Central African Republic	Nigeria	French Guiana
Chad2	Senegal	Guyana
Congo, Rep. of the	Sierra Leone	Panama2
Côte d’Ivoire	Sudan2	Paraguay
Dem. Rep. of the Congo2	South Sudan	Peru2
Equatorial Guinea	Togo	Suriname
Ethiopia2	Uganda	Trinidad and Tobago2
Gabon		Venezuela2
The Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau

¹Countries/areas where “a risk of yellow fever transmission is present,” as defined by the World Health Organization, are countries or areas where “yellow fever has been reported currently or in the past, plus vectors and animal reservoirs currently exist.”

²These countries are not holoendemic (i.e., only a portion of the country has risk of yellow fever transmission). Please see above map for details. Countries that require proof of yellow fever vaccination for all arriving travelers¹

Countries that require proof of yellow fever vaccination for all arriving travelers1

Angola	Gabon
Burundi	Ghana
Cameroon	Guinea-Bissau
Central African Republic	Liberia
Congo, Republic of the	Mali
Côte d’Ivoire	Niger
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Sierra Leone
French Guiana	Togo
	Uganda

¹ Country requirements for yellow fever vaccination are subject to change at any time; therefore, CDC encourages travelers to check with the destination country’s embassy or consulate before departure.

Prevention Tips

Your best defense is to avoid mosquito bites altogether, but travelers can reduce their risk of acquiring yellow fever by:

• Taking precautions against exposure to mosquitoes when traveling in areas with yellow fever transmission.
• Remaining in well-screened or air conditioned areas when possible.
• Wearing clothing that adequately covers the arms and legs.
• Applying DEET-containing insect repellent to both skin and clothing.
• Yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry if you are traveling to, or stopping in a country where the disease exists.

Consult with your local Kelsey-Seybold Travel Clinic to determine if your travel itinerary will require you to be immunized for yellow fever.

Travel Consultation Visits with Yellow Fever Vaccine

Patients seeking to be serviced with the yellow fever vaccine at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic should accompany the visit with a Good Health Letter from their primary care physician. Considering, the yellow fever vaccine is a live virus, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic prefers to keep every patient safe and to do so we require a Good Health letter from their provider to make sure proper safety measures are taken with each patient.

Download a sample letter

Available Immunizations

Immunization is required in certain countries. The vaccine must be administered at an approved yellow fever vaccination center. Contact your local state health department for the nearest vaccination center. Vaccines should receive complete International Certificate of vaccination, signed and validated with the center's stamp where the vaccine was given.

This certificate is valid 10 days after vaccination and for a subsequent period of 10 years. This certificate should be carried with your passport at all times.