Warning over shortage of yellow fever vaccine

Winter sun trippers beware

Travel Insurance News - 03/12/2013

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Warning to travellers over the shortage of yellow fever vaccine available.

As many Britons prepare to set off on their winter sun holidays in tropical locations such as Africa and South America, some may have found it a struggle to fit in their yellow fever inoculations.

This is due to a worldwide shortage of the vaccination and has been causing problems since late July when a growing number of hospitals and health centres began to report on dwindling stocks of the vaccine. It is strongly recommended that visitors to Brazil, the Gambia, and Cape Verde are inoculated for their trip. Supplies are not expected to be replenished until the beginning of 2014.

Yellow fever is a very dangerous disease which kills up to 60 per cent of the people that it infects. It is most prevalent in the tropical areas where mosquitos are present, especially in Africa, South America and parts of the Caribbean and India.

The government-funded NationalTravelHealthNetworkandCentre website has also carried warnings about the current lack of the yellow fever vaccine and advises travellers who to visit the website nathnac.org, click on the link to travellers and then to ‘Yellow Fever Centres’. This page will provide information on which is listed both NHS and private clinics that are still able to provide the vaccine.

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