Generic Name: yellow fever vaccine (YEL oh FEE ver)
Brand Names: YF-Vax
What is YF-Vax (yellow fever vaccine)?
Yellow fever is a serious disease caused by the yellow fever virus. Yellow fever is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. It cannot be spread from person to person. Yellow fever can cause fever and flu-like illness, jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin), liver failure, respiratory failure, kidney failure, vomiting of blood, and possibly death. The yellow fever vaccine exposes the individual to a small amount of the virus (or to a protein from the virus) and causes the body to develop immunity to the disease.
Yellow fever is carried and spread by mosquitos.
The yellow fever vaccine is used to help prevent this disease in adults and children who are at least 9 months old.
This vaccine works by exposing you to a small dose of the virus, which causes the body to develop immunity to the disease. This vaccine will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.
This vaccine is recommended for people who plan to live in or travel to areas where yellow fever is known to exist, or where an epidemic has recently occurred. The vaccine should also be given to people who will spend any amount of time in rural areas where yellow fever is endemic, or those who are otherwise at high risk of coming into contact with the virus.
You should receive the vaccine and all booster doses at least 10 days prior to your arrival in an area where you may be exposed to the virus.
This vaccine is also recommended for people who work in a research laboratory and may be exposed to yellow fever virus through needle-stick accidents or inhalation of viral droplets in the air.
Like any vaccine, the yellow fever vaccine may not provide protection from disease in every person.
What is the most important information I should know about this vaccine?
Yellow fever vaccine is for use in adults and children who are at least 9 months old. The vaccine is given every 10 years to people who are at risk of exposure to yellow fever. Your individual booster schedule may be different from these guidelines. Follow your doctor's instructions or the schedule recommended by your local health department or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
You can still receive a vaccine if you have a cold or fever. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until you get better before receiving this vaccine.
You should not receive a booster vaccine if you had a life-threatening allergic reaction after the first shot.
Keep track of any and all side effects you have after receiving this vaccine. When you receive a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shots caused any side effects.
Becoming infected with yellow fever is much more dangerous to your health than receiving the vaccine to protect against it. Like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects, but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving this vaccine?
You should not receive this vaccine if you have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to a yellow fever vaccine, or if you have:
a chronic disease such as asthma or other breathing disorder, diabetes, kidney disease, or blood cell disorders such as anemia;
a weak immune system caused by disease (such as cancer, HIV, or AIDS), or by taking certain medicines such as steroids;
if someone in your household has a weak immune system; or
if you are allergic to eggs or egg products;
If you have a high risk of exposure to yellow fever, you may need to receive the vaccine even if you have an allergy to eggs or chicken products. Your doctor can give you the vaccine in several small doses to avoid an allergic reaction.
Before receiving this vaccine, tell the doctor if you are allergic to any foods or drugs, or if you have:
a history of seizures;
an allergy to latex rubber;
a neurologic disorder or disease affecting the brain (or if this was a reaction to a previous vaccine); or
a weak immune system caused by disease, bone marrow transplant, or by using certain medicines or receiving cancer treatments.
You can still receive a vaccine if you have a cold or fever. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until you get better before receiving this vaccine.
Vaccines may be harmful to an unborn baby and generally should not be given to a pregnant woman. However, not vaccinating the mother could be more harmful to the baby if the mother becomes infected with a disease that this vaccine could prevent. Your doctor will decide whether you should receive this vaccine, especially if you have a high risk of infection with yellow fever. Do not receive this vaccine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Children younger than 9 months old should not receive this vaccine, and should not travel to areas where yellow fever is known to exist.
How is this vaccine given?
This vaccine is given as an injection (shot) under the skin. You will receive this injection in a doctor's office or other clinic setting.
The yellow fever vaccine is given every 10 years to people who are at risk of exposure to yellow fever. The first shot can be given to a child who is at least 9 months old. Your individual booster schedule may be different from these guidelines. Follow your doctor's instructions or the schedule recommended by your local health department or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In addition to receiving the yellow vaccine, use protective clothing, insect repellents, and mosquito netting around your bed to further prevent mosquito bites that could infect you with the yellow fever virus.
If you continue to travel or live in areas where yellow fever is common, you should receive a booster dose of yellow fever vaccine every 10 years.
After receiving the vaccine, you will be given an International Certificate of Verification (yellow card) from the office or clinic where you receive you yellow fever vaccine. This certificate should contain the date you received the vaccine, as well as the vaccine's lot number and manufacturer. You will need this card as proof of vaccination to enter certain countries. This card becomes valid 10 days after you receive the vaccination and remains valid for 10 years.
Your doctor may recommend treating fever and pain with an aspirin-free pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, and others) when the shot is given and for the next 24 hours. Follow the label directions or your doctor's instructions about how much of this medicine to take.
It is especially important to prevent fever from occurring if you have a seizure disorder such as epilepsy.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Contact your doctor if you will miss a booster dose or if you get behind schedule. The next dose should be given as soon as possible. There is no need to start over.
Be sure you receive all recommended doses of this vaccine. If you do not receive the full series of vaccines, you may not be fully protected against the disease.
What happens if I overdose?
An overdose of this vaccine is unlikely to occur.
What should I avoid before or after receiving this vaccine?
Do not receive a "live" vaccine such as measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), oral polio, or varicella (chickenpox) for at least 4 weeks after you have received the yellow fever vaccine. The other live vaccine may not work as well during this time, and may not fully protect you from disease.
This vaccine side effects
You should not receive a booster vaccine if you had a life-threatening allergic reaction after the first vaccine.
Keep track of any and all side effects you have after receiving this vaccine (for up to 30 days after the shot). If you ever need to receive a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous dose caused any side effects.
Becoming infected with yellow fever is much more dangerous to your health than receiving the vaccine to protect against it. Like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects, but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
flu symptoms, stiff neck or back, vomiting, confusion, memory loss, irritability, loss of balance or coordination;
problems with speech or vision, sensitivity to light, muscle weakness or paralysis, seizure (black-out or convulsions);
behavior changes; or
seizure (black-out or convulsions).
Less serious side effects include:
redness, pain, swelling, or a lump where the shot was given;
low fever;
joint pain, body aches;
flu-like symptoms; or
mild rash.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.
What other drugs will affect YF-Vax (yellow fever vaccine)?
Before receiving this vaccine, tell the doctor about all other vaccines you have recently received.
Also tell the doctor if you have recently received drugs or treatments that can weaken the immune system, including:
an oral, nasal, inhaled, or injectable steroid medicine;
medications to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders, such as azathioprine (Imuran), efalizumab (Raptiva), etanercept (Enbrel), leflunomide (Arava), and others; or
medicines to treat or prevent organ transplant rejection, such as basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral, Gengraf), muromonab-CD3 (Orthoclone), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept), sirolimus (Rapamune), or tacrolimus (Prograf).
If you are using any of these medications, you may not be able to receive the vaccine, or may need to wait until the other treatments are finished.
There may be other drugs that can affect this vaccine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you have received. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
More YF-Vax resources
- YF-Vax Side Effects (in more detail)
- YF-Vax Use in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
- YF-Vax Drug Interactions
- YF-Vax Support Group
- 0 Reviews for YF-Vax - Add your own review/rating
- YF-Vax MedFacts Consumer Leaflet (Wolters Kluwer)
- YF-Vax Prescribing Information (FDA)
- Yellow Fever Vaccine Professional Patient Advice (Wolters Kluwer)
- YF-VAX Monograph (AHFS DI)
- Yf-Vax Advanced Consumer (Micromedex) - Includes Dosage Information
Compare YF-Vax with other medications
- Yellow Fever Prophylaxis
Where can I get more information?
- Your doctor or pharmacist may have information about this vaccine written for health professionals that you may read. You may also find additional information from your local health department or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
See also: YF-Vax side effects (in more detail)
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