How contagious is yellow fever?
Yellow fever is transmitted by the mosquitoes of the genus Aedes. A direct infection from person to person is not possible. But of course it is possible to become infected with yellow fever in an area where the mosquito Aedes is common, if there are patients suffering from yellow fever in the immediate vicinity and you are bitten by a mosquito carrying this virus.
Prophylaxis and prognosis
Up to the age of 14, yellow fever has a very low mortality rate and, if it is noticed at all, is more similar to a normal flu. In adults, on the other hand, the mortality rate is significantly higher at 20-50%, with patients then dying in the final phase of the disease from multiorgan failure.A survived infection presumably offers lifelong protection against a renewed infection with yellow fever. A yellow fever vaccination serves as prophylaxis.
This was developed around 1940 by a South African doctor and offers reliable protection against infection with yellow fever. It is therefore strongly recommended to establish or check the vaccination protection before every trip to possible yellow fever contaminated areas (so-called yellow fever belt). The respective patient must be advised individually about possible side effects of a yellow fever vaccination, but the vaccination can also lead to a variety of complications.
These can range from flu-like symptoms to life-threatening vaccination reactions. However, these are very rare and should not normally deter from a vaccination. The yellow fever vaccination can be administered in special centers by tropical medicine specialists.
Many countries require proof of a yellow fever vaccination on entry and therefore refuse entry if one is not sufficiently protected against yellow fever. Children also need to be vaccinated against yellow fever, but the World Health Organization only recommends vaccination from the age of 9 months. Already 10 days after vaccination there is sufficient protection against yellow fever.
It is assumed that the yellow fever vaccination protects against infection for 30 years, but for safety reasons it is recommended that the vaccination be refreshed after 10 years if you travel to yellow fever areas again. When vaccinating, yellow fever should not be confused with jaundice (hepatitis vaccination). In addition to the vaccination, the risk of infection can also be minimized by wearing long clothes and applying mosquito repellent.
A vaccination is the best and most effective way to protect yourself against yellow fever. The yellow fever vaccination is safe and highly effective and costs about 70 Euros. Many health insurance companies cover the costs or offer a subsidy for travel vaccinations.
In yellow fever vaccination, attenuated (weakened) yellow fever viruses are applied subcutaneously (under the skin). Two vaccines are approved in Germany, both containing the yellow fever vaccine virus 17D-204. Unlike other common vaccinations, the vaccine is injected into the back of the upper arm above the elbow.
The vaccination against yellow fever must be carried out at a state certified yellow fever vaccination center and must be authenticated with a stamp and signature. It must be administered at least one week before the planned stay in a yellow fever area to ensure sufficient immunity. The vaccination protection lasts for life after a yellow fever vaccination.
In many countries of the yellow fever belt, a yellow fever vaccination is a necessary condition for entry or visa, in some countries the yellow fever vaccination must not have been given more than ten years ago according to the legal regulations. If the vaccination is not available, the vaccination is repeated at the airport of the country. Vaccination against yellow fever may only be carried out at special “yellow fever vaccination centres”.
In many cases, a yellow fever vaccination site can be found at the tropical medicine institutes of the university hospitals. Established tropical or travel doctors may also be authorized to carry out the vaccination. The addresses of the yellow fever vaccination centers can be obtained from the public health department or the state medical associations.
10-30% of those who are vaccinated against yellow fever (“vaccinated persons”) report slight local reactions at the injection site within one week after vaccination as well as slight general reactions such as a weak feeling of illness. In individual cases, the yellow fever vaccine can trigger immediate allergic reactions or even an allergic shock due to the chicken protein and gelatine it contains. For every 1 million yellow fever vaccinations there are 5-20 allergic reactions.
A dreaded side effect is encephalitis, which occurred in 40 years in 21 patients after yellow fever vaccination, most of them in babies under one year of age. In even rarer individual cases, the vaccination can also cause yellow fever or multi-organ failure, which in the worst case can be fatal. You can find additional information here:
- The pain after vaccination – you should be aware of this
- Meningitis
