Vaccines and Preventable Diseases:
Yellow Fever Vaccination
Yellow fever can be prevented by vaccination. Travelers should also take precautions against mosquito bites when in areas with yellow fever transmission. Travelers should get vaccinated for yellow fever before visiting areas where yellow fever is found.
If you continue to live or travel in yellow fever-endemic areas, you should receive a booster dose of yellow fever vaccine after 10 years.
In the United States, the vaccine is given only at designated yellow fever vaccination centers. International regulations require proof of yellow fever vaccination for travel to and from certain countries. People who get vaccinated should be given an International Certificate of Vaccination. Also note that the vaccine is to be given 10 days before travel to an endemic area.
What You Should Know:
For Health Professionals:
What You Should Know
- CDC's Yellow Fever information
Basic information about yellow fever including symptoms, treatment, transmission prevention, maps of endemic areas, and more. - Pictures of Yellow Fever
Warning: Some of these photos are quite graphic. - Travelers information
Information and updates on risks for travelers, precautions, prevention, etc. - Timeline of Yellow Fever Disease and Vaccine
Source: History of Vaccines
If you continue to live or travel in yellow fever-endemic areas, you should receive a booster dose of yellow fever vaccine after 10 years.
After receiving the vaccine, you should receive an International Certificate of Vaccination (yellow card) that has been validated by the vaccination center. This Certificate becomes valid 10 days after vaccination and lasts for 10 years. You will need this card as proof of vaccination to enter certain countries.
- Side Effects
- Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)
- Questions and Answers
- Vaccination questions
- Search for Yellow Fever Vaccination Clinics
Only authorized providers can give this vaccine.
- Special Testing for Selected Patients with Febrile Illness Potentially Related to Yellow Fever Vaccination
- Yellow Fever Vaccine and Recent Reports of Associated Severe Illness
- Who should not be vaccinated with Yellow Fever vaccine?
- Pregnancy guidelines can be found in the Travelers' YellowBook
For Health Professionals
Vaccine Recommendations
- ACIP recommendations
- Country-specific yellow fever vaccine recommendations
CDC Travelers' Health website
References and Resources
- MMWR: Requirements for Use of a New International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis for Yellow Fever Vaccine (January 4, 2008 / 56(51);1345-1346)
- Travelers Health: Yellow Book
Information and updates on risks for travelers, precautions, prevention, international certificate of vaccination for yellow fever, pregnancy, etc. - Package inserts
(VF-Vax, and more package inserts...)
- Publications
- WHO's publications
- How to Become Certified to Administer Yellow Fever Vaccine
U.S. Yellow Fever Vaccination Center Registry - Special Testing for Selected Patients with Severe Adverse Events Potentially Related to Yellow Fever Vaccination
Provider Education
- Yellow Fever Vaccine: Information for Health Care Professionals Advising Travelers
This continuing education course is intended for physicians, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, and public health professionals. - Are Providers Prepared to Deliver Yellow Fever Vaccine Effectively?
- Podcasts on this topic (none available as of April 2012)
Materials for Patients
- Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Yellow fever disease & vaccine
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
This symbol means you are leaving the CDC.gov Web site. For more information, please see CDC's Exit Notification and Disclaimer policy.
File Formats: All viewers, players, and plug-ins used on this site can be downloaded from the file formats page. (For example: Adobe Acrobat Reader for pdf files, Windows Media Player for audio and video files, PowerPoint Viewer for presentation slides, etc.)
Content last reviewed on April 2, 2012
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
