What is it?
Yellow fever is a disease caused by a virus. The virus occurs in monkeys and humans. The disease is found in tropical regions, mainly in Africa and South America. There are no medicines to treat yellow fever. Yellow fever can be fatal.
Symptoms may include:
- fever
- flu-like illness
- yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes
- cola-coloured (dark) urine
- pale stools
- bleeding
How do you catch it?
You can catch yellow fever through a bite from the yellow fever mosquito. The mosquito can become infected when it bites an infected animal or person. It can then pass the yellow fever virus on to other animals and people through subsequent bites. The virus is not transmitted from person to person.
How do you prevent it?
You can prevent infection with the virus that causes yellow fever through vaccination. For certain countries this is even compulsory. In that case you are required to show your vaccination certificate when you enter the country. You should have the vaccination at least 10 days before arrival. In most cases the vaccination provides lifelong protection.
Only vaccination centres specifically approved for yellow fever are permitted to administer the yellow fever vaccine. We, Amsterdam Travel Clinic, are an official Yellow Fever Centre approved by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.
Besides the conditions at your destination, your personal circumstances and travel plans are decisive factors in the preparations you may need to make — or are required to make — before you travel. At Amsterdam Travel Clinic you are welcome to come for expert travel health advice and the vaccination mentioned above. We keep the vaccine in stock.
The above description is only a general, concise and simplified overview and is intended for information purposes only. No rights can be derived from it. Personal advice is given exclusively during a consultation with a specially trained Certified Travel Health Physician or Travel Health Assistant.