Proof of immunization against yellow fever is required for entry into many African countries. The yellow fever vaccine is a live vaccine so it can be hard on adults over 65 years old and immunocompromised individuals. In such cases a waiver is often sufficient. Your travel health specialist can help you obtain a waiver should you need one.
Is yellow fever active in Africa?
Yellow fever is a viral disease that is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. It is found in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa and South America.
In Africa, yellow fever is considered to be endemic in certain regions, meaning that the virus is continuously present in the mosquito population and can cause outbreaks of the disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 200,000 cases of yellow fever occur in Africa each year, and that 30,000 to 60,000 of those cases are fatal.
Recent year have seen an increase in Yellow fever outbreak in Africa, The disease can spread rapidly in areas with high population density and limited access to health care, and it can be particularly devastating for young children and older adults.
It's highly recommended for people traveling to areas where yellow fever is found to get a yellow fever vaccine and take steps to avoid mosquito bites.
Which African countries require the yellow fever vaccine?
Some countries in Africa require the vaccine for all travelers entering their country. Other countries in Africa only require it for people who have visited high risk areas. That's because many of the areas that don't currently have active yellow fever outbreaks could end up with such outbreaks in the future if they don't watch it.
Countries that require vaccination for all travelers older that 9 months or 1 year:
Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameron, Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d’lvoire, DRC, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Niger, Togo.
Countries that requires vaccination for travelers from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission or transit for 12 hours in those countries:
Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Where is the yellow fever vaccine available?
Your best bet is to visit a travel clinic for your yellow fever shots. Primary care providers and most pharmacies do not carry the yellow fever vaccine. In Arizona, Away Clinic provides the yellow fever vaccine at an affordable price at two convenient East Valley locations:
How long does the yellow fever vaccine last?
The yellow fever vaccine confers
life-long immunity. In some cases someone may need to get a booster, or if you lose your vaccine card that may also necessitate another shot.
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