Yellow fever jab certificate valid for life: WHO

An Aedes Aegypti mosquito in a laboratory in Cali, Colombia, on January 25, 2016. It causes yellow fever. PHOTO | AFP

What you need to know:

  • The International Certificate of Vaccination against the viral infection transmitted to people by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito is now permanently valid.
  • People travelling to countries that are at risk of mosquito-borne disease are often required to carry the certificate, valid for 10 years.

Holders of yellow fever vaccination certificates will no longer have to renew them, the World Health Organization has said.

The International Certificate of Vaccination against the viral infection transmitted to people by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito is now permanently valid.

This announcement follows an amendment to the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) after WHO found that a single dose of yellow fever vaccine is sufficient to give sustained immunity and lifelong protection against the disease.

People travelling to countries that are at risk of mosquito-borne disease are often required to carry the certificate, valid for 10 years.

But the new directive that came into force on July 11 applies to all existing and new certificates, starting 10 days after vaccination.

“Nothing needs or should be modified in the certificate ... deletions, erasures or additions may cause a certificate to be rendered invalid,” states WHO.

For new certificates, countries should use words which “clearly and unambiguously indicate that the validity of the certificate is for life”.

It costs about Sh1,500 to get the jab at the Nairobi City County and about Sh3,000 at the airports.

Yellow fever is the only disease mentioned in the document for which an International Certificate of Vaccination may be required for entry into a country under WHO regulations.

Many countries in Africa (34) and Central and South America (13) are either endemic for, or have regions that are endemic for, yellow fever.

The continent has lately been grappling with yellow fever outbreaks — especially in Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo where there were at least 416 fatalities.

In its 16th June report, WHO said 345 people had died from the illness in seven months with more than 3,000 cases in Angola, the worst outbreak in 30 years.

Cases were also reported in Kenya (two, with one person dying) and in China (11).