VACCINE INFORMATION STATEMENT

Many Vaccine Information Statements are 

available in Spanish and other languages. 

See www.immunize.org/vis

Hojas de información sobre vacunas están 

disponibles en español y en muchos otros 

idiomas. Visite www.immunize.org/vis

U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services 

Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention 

1 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

2 Yellow fever vaccine

Yellow fever vaccine is a live vaccine containing 

weakened, live yellow fever virus. It is given as a 

single shot. One dose provides lifelong protection for 

most people.

Yellow fever vaccine is recommended for:

 People 9 months through 59 years of age who are 

traveling to or living in areas at risk for yellow 

fever virus activity, or traveling to a country with 

an entry requirement for vaccination. (People 

younger than 9 months or older than 59 years who 

are at increased risk might receive yellow fever 

vaccine in some situations. Ask your health care 

provider for more information.)

 Laboratory personnel who might be exposed to 

yellow fever virus or vaccine virus.

Yellow fever vaccine is given only at designated 

vaccination centers. After getting the vaccine, 

you will be given an “International Certificate of 

Vaccination or Prophylaxis” (ICVP, sometimes called 

the “yellow card”). You will need this card as proof 

of vaccination to enter certain countries. If you don’t 

have it, you might be required to get yellow fever 

vaccine upon entering the country, or be forced 

to wait for up to 6 days to make sure you are not 

infected.

Do not donate blood for 14 days after vaccination, 

because there is a risk of passing vaccine virus to 

others during that period.

Yellow Fever Vaccine:

What You Need to Know
Office use only

3 Talk with your health care 

provider

Discuss your itinerary with your health care provider 

before you get your yellow fever vaccination. 

You can visit CDC’s Travelers’ Health website 

at www.cdc.gov/travel to learn if yellow fever 

vaccination is recommended or required based 

on your travel location.

Tell your vaccine provider if the person getting the 

vaccine:

 Has had an allergic reaction after a previous dose 

of yellow fever vaccine, or has any severe, lifethreatening allergies.

 Has a weakened immune system.

 Has had their thymus removed or been diagnosed 

with a thymus disorder.

 Is pregnant or breastfeeding.

 Has gotten any other vaccines in the past 4 weeks.

People with minor illnesses, such as a cold, may be 

vaccinated. People who are moderately or severely ill 

should usually wait until they recover before getting 

yellow fever vaccine.

In some cases, your health care provider may decide 

to postpone yellow fever vaccination to a future visit.

If you cannot get yellow fever vaccine for medical 

reasons and you are traveling to a country with 

a yellow fever vaccination entry requirement, 

your doctor will need to fill out the Medical 

Contraindications to Vaccination section of your 

yellow card. In addition, your doctor should give you 

a waiver letter. If you plan to use a waiver, you can 

contact the embassies of countries you plan to visit 

for more information.

4 Risks of a vaccine reaction

 Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was 

given are common after yellow fever vaccine.

 Fever sometimes happens.

 Headache and muscle aches can occur.

 More serious reactions happen rarely after yellow 

fever vaccine. These can include:

-Nervous system reactions such as inflammation 

of the brain (encephalitis) and/or spinal cord 

covering (meningitis), or Guillain-Barré 

Syndrome (GBS), among others.

-Life-threatening severe illness with organ 

dysfunction or failure.

People 60 years and older and people with weakened 

immune systems might be more likely to experience 

serious reactions to yellow fever vaccine.

People sometimes faint after medical procedures, 

including vaccination. Tell your provider if you feel 

dizzy or have vision changes or ringing in the ears.

As with any medicine, there is a remote chance of 

a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction, other 

serious injury, or death.

5 What if there is a serious 

problem?

An allergic reaction could occur after the vaccinated 

person leaves the clinic. If you see signs of a 

severe allergic reaction (hives, swelling of the face 

and throat, difficulty breathing, a fast heartbeat, 

dizziness, or weakness), call 9-1-1 and get the person 

to the nearest hospital.

For other signs that concern you, call your health 

care provider.

Adverse reactions should be reported to the Vaccine 

Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Your 

health care provider will usually file this report, or 

you can do it yourself. Visit the VAERS website at 

www.vaers.hhs.gov or call 1-800-822-7967. VAERS 

is only for reporting reactions, and VAERS staff do not 

give medical advice.

6 How can I learn more?

 Ask your health care provider.

 Call your local or state health department.

 Contact the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC): 

-Call 1-800-232-4636 (1-800-CDC-INFO), or

-Visit CDC’s Yellow Fever website at 

www.cdc.gov/yellowfever/vaccine/index.html

04/01/2020

Vaccine Information Statement

Yellow Fever Vaccine