Age: 70.0
Sex: M
Vaccine: HEPAB, TDAP, TYP, YF
Symptoms: Asthenia, Blood test normal, Chest X-ray abnormal, Chills, Decreased appetite
Clinical narrative: On January 12, 2016 I went to MD and was given the required vaccinations for a missionary trip. Before going, I had heard that yellow fever vaccinations can sometimes cause a few days of flu-like symptoms that typically last no longer than about three days. I was 70 years old at the time and unaware of the information below from the "Precautions" section of the CDC website which I found after my reaction. "Age greater than or equal to 60 years is a precaution for yellow fever vaccination, particularly if this is the first dose of the yellow fever vaccine given. An analysis of adverse events passively reported to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System from 2000 through 2006 indicates that people aged greater than or equal to 60 years are at increased risk for any serious adverse event after vaccination, compared with younger people. The rate of serious adverse events in people aged greater than or equal to 60 years was 8.3 per 100,000 doses distributed, compared with 4.7 per 100,000 for all vaccine recipients." I developed my first symptoms on Saturday night, January 16 with chills, fever, night sweats and body aches much worse than with the flu. I rotated between TYLENOL and Ibuprofen for the fever and pain and felt better on Monday. However, my fever started climbing on Tuesday and by Wednesday evening I was seriously ill. I saw my local doctor first thing the next morning (Thursday, January 21) and was admitted to the local hospital. I was given IV's for dehydration, TYLENOL for fever, Tramadol for pain, and something for nausea. My doctor also gave me ROCEPHIN by IV to try to keep me from getting pneumonia while unable to be up and out of bed. I became so weak that I could hardly do anything and eating just seemed to take more effort than it was worth plus I had no appetite. Any activity or noise in the room exhausted me even if it was just other people talking. I asked that I have no visitors. I was really sensitive to noise and light and lay for hours awake but with my eyes closed. After three nights in the hospital, my fever was not going as high and I was beginning to try to eat so the doctor sent me home on Sunday afternoon, January 31. By late Tuesday, February 2, my temperature was coming back up and my doctor was out of town so my wife and I went to the emergency room (about 80 miles from home and one of the closest major medical facilities in our area). Having no definitive test and no effective treatment for the yellow fever, the emergency room doctor just started doing tests to figure out what else might be wrong. He thought he heard something in my lungs and ordered an X-ray. That is when they discovered that I had pneumonia. They admitted me to the hospital and assigned me to a hospitalist. After a couple of nights in the hospital, they did another chest X-ray and said that the pneumonia was in both lower lobes of my lungs and worse than originally thought. Dr. said that it did not show up clearly on my X-ray when admitted due to dehydration. He also asked if I was eating, which I was starting to do, and told me that I was borderline malnourished when I first entered the hospital. While I as in hospital, Dr. rotated antibiotics by IV for the pneumonia in addition to giving another one by mouth at night. He gave me TYLENOL for the fever and something for pain. Even though I was still having fever every day, Dr. discharged me after six nights in the hospital and sent me home with a prescription for an antibiotic to be taken for 10 days after discharge. Even after finishing my antibiotic at home, my temperature still rose above normal every day. I made a follow-up visit to my family doctor on February 11, shortly after finishing my antibiotic at home. A chest X-ray showed my lungs to be clear and my blood work was good. There was nothing to do but live with the fever (and take TYLENOL for it), keep hydrated and rest. My temperature continued to come up every day until February 23. That means I ran fever from January 16 through February 23, a little over five and one-half weeks. I still get a slight temperature variation during the day but it seems to be within normal limits. Although I am still weak and tire quickly, I am gradually regaining strength. I am a minister and I have not preached since January 12. If I am strong enough, I am scheduled to be back in the pulpit on Sunday, March 13. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call.