Prospective travellers are warned that it is essential to be inoculated against yellow fever when travelling to countries where the disease is endemic – this is not just a warning, but also a strictly enforced regulation by international health authorities.
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Dr Jaco Folmer, Medical Director of Netcare Travel Clinics, urges South Africans to take the warning seriously. “While the emphasis is on yellow fever,” he comments, “the regulations also apply to other diseases which require inoculation and travellers intending to visit affected countries must ensure that they comply.”
According to Folmer, South Africans attempting to return to South Africa after visiting a yellow fever endemic country without a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate could be refused entry upon their return. “Officials have the authority to decide either to keep such travellers under observation for approximately ten days at their own cost, or to vaccinate them against yellow fever, again at their own cost.”
Foreigners from countries where yellow fever is endemic, who are not in possession of a valid vaccination certificate, will be returned to their port of embarkation at the airline’s expense. Alternatively, they could also be subject to the ten days’ observation requirement or vaccination, at their own cost.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) closely monitors reports of yellow fever infection and publishes a bi-annual book on yellow fever cases, where it occurs and which countries require vaccination when travelling from endemic areas.
The following countries require yellow fever vaccination:
In Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), Ethiopia, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome & Principe, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zaire and Zambia
In South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
This year there has been reports of yellow fever infection in Brazil.
Yellow Fever - What exactly is it?
Yellow Fever is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of a mosquito explains Folmer. The mosquito called Aedes aegypti is a day-time biter and is found throughout the world. Monkeys and humans act as carriers for the virus.
The disease itself is characterised by fever, muscular pain, headaches, nausea and vomiting, a slow pulse, followed in 15% of cases by jaundice, abdominal pain and bleeding tendencies. By the time patients develop the jaundice, half of them will die.
“Although there is no cure for yellow fever, there is a very effective vaccine available. The vaccine starts to be protective 10 days after inoculation, and this protection lasts for 10 years.”
“After the vaccination, you will receive an “International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis”, commonly known as a “yellow card”. This acts as proof that you have been vaccinated. Keep it with your passport and look after it well,” cautions Folmer.
Countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Brazil and Venezuela are all yellow fever endemic countries. “This means that they have the disease, the mosquito and the carrier. For your own protection, a yellow fever vaccine is needed when visiting these countries,” explains Folmer.
“A country like South Africa has the mosquito and the carrier, but not the disease. The law requires you to have proof of yellow fever vaccination should you be coming from an endemic country. This is to ensure that you do not bring the disease into the country, where it can easily spread, causing a major catastrophe.”
Often countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination even if you have just stopped over in a yellow fever endemic country, for example going to Peru via Sao Paulo or to Saudi Arabia via Ethiopia.
If you are travelling to an African or South American country and you are not sure whether you need a yellow fever vaccine or not, it is wise to contact your closest travel clinic that will give you the necessary information, the vaccine, the yellow card and absolute peace of mind.
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