Your Private GP and Sexual Health Clinic in Canary Wharf

NURSE

Dr Wayne Cottrell will be back in the clinic from 18 October and the clinic will be open every weekday from that date

Yellow Fever is a serious, sometimes fatal, tropical disease

Yellow Fever is a viral illness transmitted by mosquitoes in the tropical regions of Africa and South America
After getting bitten by an infected mosquito it takes 3-6 days to develop symptoms
Main symptoms are aches and pains, fever, headache, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting
In many patients there seems to be an improvement after the initial symptoms but about 24 hours later 15-25% of patients will progress to a more serious illness called acute Haemorrhagic fever
This can result in bleeding from the nose, mouth, ears and stomach with jaundice and kidney damage
This can lead to shock, organ failure and death in around 20-50% of patients
There is no specific treatment other than supportive measures
Vaccination is required for all at risk individuals travelling to countries where Yellow Fever is present
Vaccination is essential not only for your own protection, but also to protect against the spread of the disease

Whether you require vaccination depends on many factors, so it’s best to consult a doctor or nurse for advice
Ensure that you know whether you require a certificate, for the countries you are planning too travel to
If you are not vaccinated and there is a certificate requirement then you can be refused entry
The vaccine takes 10 days to offer protection. This means that the certificate will only become valid ten days after you have received the vaccination
Once you have been vaccinated the certificate is valid for life
The vaccine is a live vaccine so should not be given to people who have underlying immune problems, pregnant women and very young children
You should also not have it within one month of receiving another live vaccine such as chickenpox or MMR
Once vaccinated you are protected for life
Yellow fever vaccination can only be done by a doctor/nurse trained in YF vaccinations and at a designated Yellow Fever centre, such as ours