Yellow Fever Vaccine: What You Need To Know

Why get vaccinated?

Yellow fever vaccine can prevent yellow fever. Yellow fever is a serious disease caused by the yellow fever virus. There is no medicine to treat or cure yellow fever.

Yellow fever virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. It is found in parts of Africa and South America.

The majority of people with yellow fever virus infections will either not have symptoms, or have mild disease and completely recover. But some people will develop severe disease.

Symptoms and signs of yellow fever include:

• Sudden onset of fever and chills
• Headache, back pain, or general body aches
• Nausea or vomiting

More severe symptoms of yellow fever can include:

• Jaundice (yellow skin or eyes)
• Bleeding from multiple body sites
• Shock (life-threatening condition in which the body is not getting enough blood flow)
• Liver, kidney, or other organ failure

Severe yellow fever can cause death in 30% to 60% of affected people.

In addition to getting vaccinated, you can also protect yourself from yellow fever by avoiding mosquito bites:

• Use insect repellent
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants
• Stay in well-screened or air-conditioned areas