Yellow Fever Vaccine and Certificate

Yellow fever is a viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes, endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Most infections cause a self-limiting illness with fever, headache and muscle pain. In around 15 per cent of cases, the disease progresses to a severe phase involving jaundice, organ failure and bleeding. The case fatality rate in severe cases is between 20 and 50 per cent. There is no specific treatment. Vaccination provides approximately 99 per cent protection and is the only reliable preventive measure.

Countries that typically require the ICVP for all arriving travellers include Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Togo and others in sub-Saharan Africa.
Countries including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania require the certificate from travellers arriving from or transiting through endemic countries. In South America, Brazil requires documentation for travellers to certain states.
Requirements change and your clinician will advise based on your specific itinerary.

The International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) is an official WHO document confirming that the holder has received the yellow fever vaccine. Many countries in Africa and parts of South America require it at the border.
Only a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre can issue the ICVP. You cannot obtain it from a standard GP practice, pharmacy, or unregistered clinic. We issue the ICVP at the point of vaccination at all ten of our clinics. The certificate is valid from ten days after vaccination.

No. The NHS does not provide the yellow fever vaccine for travellers, and GP practices do not offer it. It is offered only through designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres, which operate on a private basis. There is no NHS route to obtain yellow fever vaccination or the ICVP certificate for travel.

Stamaril is a live attenuated vaccine with several contraindications. It is not suitable for:

• Infants under nine months (under six months is an absolute contraindication)
• Immunocompromised individuals, including those on immunosuppressive therapy, those with HIV who have significantly reduced CD4 counts, and those with primary immunodeficiency
• Individuals with a severe egg allergy (the vaccine is produced in eggs)
• Those with a thymus disorder, including thymoma, thymectomy, myasthenia gravis or DiGeorge syndrome
• Pregnant women (generally avoided; may be considered when travel is unavoidable and yellow fever risk is high)

Most side effects are mild and short-lived. Soreness at the injection site, mild headache, low-grade fever and muscle aches for a few days are the most common reactions.
Two rare but serious adverse events are associated with yellow fever vaccination: yellow fever vaccine associated neurotropic disease (YEL-AND), which can affect the nervous system, and yellow fever vaccine associated viscerotropic disease (YEL-AVD), a very rare condition that resembles severe yellow fever and can be fatal. Both are significantly more common in first-time vaccine recipients and in those over 60. Your clinician will discuss your individual risk profile before the vaccine is given.

This depends on two considerations: whether your destination requires the ICVP for entry, and whether there is a disease risk you need personal protection from.
Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa require the ICVP as a condition of entry for all travellers, regardless of origin. Others require it only from travellers arriving from or transiting through endemic countries. Some South American countries have partial requirements applying to specific regions or entry routes. Country requirements change, so confirming the rules for your specific itinerary before booking is advisable.

For most healthy adults, yes. In 2016, the WHO revised its guidance to confirm that a single dose of yellow fever vaccine provides lifelong protection for most people. The ICVP is now valid for the holder's lifetime, starting 10 days after vaccination.
Some groups may need a repeat dose: those vaccinated before nine months of age, those vaccinated during pregnancy or when significantly immunocompromised, and those who received a haematopoietic stem cell transplant after their original vaccination. Your clinician will confirm whether this applies to your situation.

A Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre (YFVC) is a clinic designated by the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) as authorised to administer the yellow fever vaccine and issue the ICVP. In Scotland, designation is through Health Protection Scotland. Only registered YFVCs can legally issue the ICVP. All ten of our Private Medical Clinic locations hold YFVC designation.

The ICVP becomes valid ten days after vaccination. The vaccine must therefore be given at least ten days before departure for the certificate to be valid at the border. Earlier vaccination is preferable; booking as soon as travel is confirmed allows time to plan other vaccines alongside it.

Under current WHO guidance, a booster is not recommended for most healthy adults who received a valid primary dose. The ICVP issued after 2016 records vaccination as valid for life.
However, some countries have not updated their border requirements and may still require evidence of vaccination within the previous ten years. If you were vaccinated before 2016 and your certificate records a ten-year expiry date, some borders may not accept it as currently valid. Your clinician can advise on whether re-vaccination is appropriate for your destination.

A registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre can issue a medical exemption letter for travellers with a genuine clinical contraindication to the vaccine, such as severe immunodeficiency or thymus disease.
Medical exemption letters are not universally accepted at borders. Some countries will refuse entry to travellers without a valid ICVP under any circumstances, or may impose quarantine in lieu of vaccination. If you cannot receive the vaccine, your clinician will advise on whether an exemption letter is appropriate and which destinations are likely to accept it.