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YF-VAX® can help protect you from yellow fever
Vaccination with YF-VAX® helps prevent yellow fever.
You will receive 1 injection. Immunization is an important measure in preventing yellow fever, but it is not 100% protective. Travellers are advised to use insect repellent, wear protective clothing and use other protective measures. Ask your healthcare provider about ways to protect yourself from exposure to diseases transmitted by insects.
Learn more about yellow fever
How is yellow fever spread?
You can get the virus from the bite of an infected mosquito.
How can I protect myself?
Vaccination with YF-VAX® helps prevent yellow fever.
Who should be vaccinated?
Individuals travelling to a yellow fever risk area should receive YF-VAX®. Yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry if you are travelling to, or transiting through, a country where the disease may exist.
If vaccination is required, your doctor or nurse will immunize you and then put an official stamp in your International Vaccination Certificate, which proves that you have been vaccinated. This certificate should be carried with your passport at all times. Your certificate is valid for the remainder of your life, beginning 10 days after you are vaccinated. Yellow fever vaccine is available only at designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre clinics.
Do not vaccinate in:
- children under 9 months of age
- anyone with a known allergy to the vaccine or any of its components, including allergy to eggs or chicken protein
- anyone with a weakened immune system due to HIV/AIDS infection, leukemia, lymphoma, generalized malignancy (e.g., cancer) or anyone whose immune response is suppressed by drug therapy (e.g., corticosteroids, chemotherapy or radiation)
- anyone who has had their thymus gland removed or has a history of problems with the thymus
- anyone who has had certain vaccines within the past month (discuss with your healthcare provider whether this applies to you)
- anyone ill with an infection or fever
- Wait until you are well before receiving the vaccine. A minor illness with no fever, such as a mild upper respiratory infection, is not usually a reason to defer immunization
- pregnant and nursing women should discuss the risks and benefits of YF-VAX® vaccination with their healthcare provider
- persons over 60 years of age should discuss the risks and benefits of YF-VAX® vaccination with their healthcare provider.
Possible side effects to know about
Some people who receive YF-VAX® may have mild side effects such as soreness, redness or swelling at the site of the injection. The side effects usually go away within a few days.
Serious side effects are very rare. A vaccine, like any medicine, may cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of YF-VAX® causing serious harm is extremely small. The small risks associated with YF-VAX® are much less than the risks of getting the disease against which it protects.
If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, talk to your healthcare provider. Tell your doctor or nurse as soon as possible if you do not feel well after receiving YF-VAX®.
Will I ever need another YF-VAX® vaccination?
Booster doses are recommended for certain situations as per NACI recommendations. Please contact your health care provider for more information.
- travelling to or living in countries and areas where yellow fever infection is officially reported or considered to exist.
- travelling to countries where yellow fever vaccination is required by law upon entry. Current information on the countries for which an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis is required can be obtained from local public health departments or from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) Travel Medicine Program web site.
- laboratory personnel who might be exposed to yellow fever virus or to concentrated preparations of the 17D vaccine strain.
YF-VAX® is a vaccine that is used to help prevent yellow fever. This vaccine may be given to adults and children 9 months of age and older who are:
The majority of persons who are vaccinated with YF-VAX® will produce enough antibodies to protect them from this disease. However, as with all vaccines, 100% protection cannot be guaranteed.
YF-VAX® causes your body to produce its own natural protection against the yellow fever virus. After you receive the vaccine, your body begins to make substances called antibodies. Antibodies help your body to fight disease. If a vaccinated person comes into contact with the yellow fever virus, the body is usually ready to destroy it.
These are not all the possible side effects you or your child may feel when taking YF-VAX®. If you or your child experience any side effects not listed here, contact your healthcare professional. Please also see Warnings and Precautions. A vaccine, like any medicine, may cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of YF-VAX® causing serious harm is extremely small. The small risks associated with YF-VAX® are much less than the risks of getting the disease against which it protects.
Tell your doctor or nurse as soon as possible if you do not feel well after receiving YF-VAX®. Some people who receive YF-VAX® may have mild side effects such as soreness, redness or swelling at the site of the injection. The side effects usually go away within a few days. Serious side effects are very rare.
If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, talk to your healthcare professional. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if YF-VAX® is right for you or a family member. For more information, visit www.sanofi.ca.