Yellow Fever
vaccine is a vaccine that protects against Yellow
Fever. Yellow Fever is a viral infection that occurs in tropical and subtropical areas in Africa and South
America. Yellow Fever vaccines approved by WHO provide protection against
infection starting 10 days following the administration of the vaccine. The purpose of this vaccination is to prevent the
International spread of the disease and to
protect individual travellers who may be exposed to yellow fever
infection. The vaccine can be used to control outbreaks of
disease.
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A yellow fever certificate issued after the vaccination and it becomes valid 10 days after the date of initial yellow fever vaccination, or
immediately after a yellow fever
vaccination booster dose as long as the previous dose
was within the last 10 years and the previous certificate can be checked for authenticity.
Annex 7 of International Health Regulation (IHR) 2005
contains the regulations about Yellow Fever. Yellow fever is the
only disease specified in the IHR 2005 for which countries may require proof of
vaccination from travellers as a condition of entry under certain
circumstances and may take certain measures if an
arriving traveller is not in possession of such a certificate.
According to WHO, the 'Yellow Fever Booster Vaccination' given ten years after the initial vaccination is not necessary. Based on research findings of WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization in 2014, a single dose of Yellow Fever Vaccination confers life long protection and on the same year 67th World Health Assembly adopted a resolution WHA 67.13 (2014) to update and amend the annex 7 of the IHR 2005.
The new amendment to annex 7 of IHR 2005 entered in to force on 11th July 2016. In the context of International travel, the amendment to Annex 7 of IHR 2005 changes the period of validity of the 'Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate' and the protection provided by vaccination against yellow fever infection under the IHR 2005 from ten (10) years to the life of the person vaccinated. Accordingly, as of 11th July 2016, for both existing or new certificates, revaccination or a booster dose of yellow fever vaccine cannot be required of International Travellers as a condition of entry into a State Party, regardless of the date their International Yellow Fever Certificate of Vaccination was initially issued. This Lifetime validity of these certificates applies automatically to certificates issued after 11th July 2016 as well as certificates already issued.
The full texts of amended IHR 2005 Annex 7, list of all WHO Member States as of 11 July 2016 and Q&A on the Extension to Life for Yellow Fever Vaccination are available at www.who.int/ith.
