Travel Essentials: Why Yellow Fever Vaccination Should Be on Your Checklist
It’s no surprise Yellow Fever is one of the world’s deadliest diseases with one of the highest fatalities on the global radar.
While traveling to exotic destinations like Africa, the Caribbean, or Central and South America is exciting, they’re also potential hotspots, making it essential to prepare for the potential health risks of Yellow Fever. If you’re traveling to place that’s a breeding ground for the virus, here’s why the Yellow Fever vaccination in Melbourne should be your travel essential.
What Exactly is Yellow Fever?
Yellow Fever is disease spread virally by infected mosquitoes, particularly Aedes and Haemagogus species. It gets its name from the yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice) that can occur in severe cases. Since there is no cure for Yellow Fever, it can be fatal if not treated, making vaccination crucial for prevention.
What’s the Importance of Getting a Yellow Fever Vaccine?
Recommended for anyone aged 9 months and older traveling to areas where Yellow Fever is a risk, a Yellow Fever vaccine’s single dose provides lifelong immunity for most people. The vaccine takes about 10 days to become effective, and a certificate of vaccination (ICVP) is issued, which may be required for entry into certain countries.
It’s no surprise Yellow Fever is one of the world’s deadliest diseases with one of the highest fatalities on the global radar.
While traveling to exotic destinations like Africa, the Caribbean, or Central and South America is exciting, they’re also potential hotspots, making it essential to prepare for the potential health risks of Yellow Fever. If you’re traveling to place that’s a breeding ground for the virus, here’s why the Yellow Fever vaccination in Melbourne should be your travel essential.
What Exactly is Yellow Fever?
Yellow Fever is disease spread virally by infected mosquitoes, particularly Aedes and Haemagogus species. It gets its name from the yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice) that can occur in severe cases. Since there is no cure for Yellow Fever, it can be fatal if not treated, making vaccination crucial for prevention.
What’s the Importance of Getting a Yellow Fever Vaccine?
Recommended for anyone aged 9 months and older traveling to areas where Yellow Fever is a risk, a Yellow Fever vaccine’s single dose provides lifelong immunity for most people. The vaccine takes about 10 days to become effective, and a certificate of vaccination (ICVP) is issued, which may be required for entry into certain countries.
In healthy adults, protective antibody levels are reached approximately two weeks post-vaccination, with nearly all recipients achieving full protection by four weeks. Although generally considered lifelong, a booster may be necessary in certain situations, such as for individuals who were pregnant or had HIV at the time of initial vaccination or for those traveling to high-risk areas after more than 10 years since their initial vaccination.
Who Should Get Vaccinated?
The vaccine is especially for people who are aged 9 months, are older, and are traveling (or living) in any West African country. It’s also applicable for individuals aged 9 months or older traveling to rural areas in other Yellow Fever endemic countries. Certain exemptions may apply due to health conditions or other reasons. Ensure you consult with a travel doctor to discuss any concerns and determine the best course of action.
Is It Necessary to Get Vaccinated?
Yellow fever vaccination in Melbourne is one of the few mandatory immunizations and might be required if you are traveling to or from a country where yellow fever is present.
Travelers aged one year or older arriving in Australia from regions with a risk of yellow fever transmission, except for locations such as the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, must present a yellow fever vaccination certificate. This also applies to those who have travelled for more than 12 hours through an airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.
Getting Travel Ready with Your Yellow Fever Vaccine
At Pakenham Medical Clinic, we provide Yellow Fever vaccinations in Melbourne among other health treatments for those travelling abroad and need help getting their vaccination certificates. Please reach out to us for help and we’ll help you get vaccinated for a safe and hassle-free journey.
