Yellow fever vaccination

Definition

The yellow fever vaccine is a live vaccine that is used to protect against the yellow fever disease, which is endemic mainly in South America and Africa. The vaccination cannot be administered by every general practitioner, as other vaccinations are, because there are special yellow fever vaccination centers that are authorized to administer the vaccination. After the one-time yellow fever vaccination there is lifelong protection. Until 2016 in many countries a refreshment of the vaccination was mandatory if it was more than 10 years ago.

Who should be vaccinated?

The yellow fever vaccination is not one of the standard vaccinations recommended by the permanent vaccination commission (STIKO) but one of the travel vaccinations. People who travel to yellow fever infection areas or to countries where yellow fever vaccination is a prerequisite for entry should be vaccinated. Yellow fever occurs in parts of Africa (Angola, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Bensin, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mail, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Southern Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Eritrea, Somalia, Tanzania, São Tomé and Príncipe) and South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago).

How do I find a yellow fever vaccination site?

On the website of the Center for Travel Medicine (CMI) you will find a directory of all yellow fever vaccination centers in Germany, sorted by postal code. If there is no access to the Internet, the treating family doctor can also be consulted. He or she can look for yellow fever vaccination centers in the vicinity.

How does a yellow fever vaccination work?

The yellow fever vaccination is administered in the same way as other vaccinations. First of all, the vaccinating doctor checks whether there are any contraindications for the vaccination. These include, for example, acute febrile infections, diseases with a significantly weakened immune system such as advanced HIV disease, pregnancy and a chicken egg protein allergy.

Due to the increased risk of complications, vaccination should also only be given to patients over 60 years of age after careful risk-benefit analysis. If there are no contraindications, the area to be vaccinated (usually the upper arm) is disinfected and the vaccine is administered under the skin (subcutaneously). The vaccination is then recorded on the vaccination card.