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 is no medicine to treat yellow fever, and it can be fatal.
Symptoms may include:
- fever
- flu-like illness
- yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes
- dark, cola-coloured urine
- pale stools
- bleeding
How do you catch it?
You can catch yellow fever through the bite of 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 when it bites again. 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 by having a vaccination. For certain countries this is even compulsory, and you are then required to show your vaccination certificate when you enter the country. You should be vaccinated at least 10 days before arrival. In most cases the vaccination provides lifelong protection.
Only specially designated, accredited yellow fever vaccination centres are permitted to administer the yellow fever vaccine. We, Amsterdam Travel Clinic, are an official Yellow Fever centre accredited by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.
In addition to the conditions at your destination, your personal circumstances and travel plans are decisive factors in the preparations you may want or need to make before you travel. At Amsterdam Travel Clinic you can come to us for expert travel-health advice and the above-mentioned vaccination. We keep the vaccine in stock.
The above description is only a general, brief and simple account and is intended purely for information. No rights can be derived from it. Personal advice is given exclusively during a consultation with a specially trained Certified Travel Medicine Doctor or Travel Medicine Assistant.