Yellow Fever Health Video

Video Transcript

Dr. SUSAN MCGLADERRY, BM, BCH, MRCP: Hello, my name is Dr. Susan McGladdery. I'm the medical director from the First MedCenters in Budapest, Hungary. I'd like to give you a little information about yellow fever. Yellow fever is a hemorrhagic fever caused by a virus which is spread by the bite of a particular species of mosquito. It's most common in areas of Africa and South America and affects travelers and residents of those areas. In mild cases just causes fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting but it can be much more serious causing bleeding or hemorrhaging, heart, liver and kidney problems. Up to 50% of those with the most severe form of yellow fever will die of the disease and there is no specific treatment for yellow fever. There is a vaccine, however, that can protect you. Therefore, if you are planning to travel to an area where you know that there's a risk of yellow fever, you need to have this vaccine. You should see a doctor at least 10 or 14 days before traveling to arrange the vaccination. A single dose of the vaccine will protect you for at least 10 years. Side effects of the vaccine are usually very mild. However rarely, most significant reactions can occur including even a yellow-fever like syndrome encephalitis or death and this maybe a problem particularly in infants and all the children. The vaccine is safest for children older than 9 months and adults less than 60 years old. You need to discuss with your doctor whether this vaccine is appropriate for you if you are outside that age range. There are other things that you can do to prevent yellow fever and this includes protecting yourself from the bite of mosquitoes. All you need to do is to avoid unnecessary outdoor activity particularly when mosquito are most prevalent - the dawn, dusk, and the early evening. A simple thing like wearing a long-sleeve shirt and long pants when you go in to a mosquito infected area is another way of reducing the chance of a mosquito bite. You can also stay in an air-conditioned building or a well-screened house. You may also use an insecticide-coated bed net to protect you from mosquito bites while you are sleeping. All of those things will reduce the chance that you'll expose to yellow fever and also mosquito-transmitted infections. So if you think you are at risk of yellow fever, do make sure that you get that vaccine.