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Yellow fever vaccine

life science Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The yellow fever vaccine is a way to stay safe from a viral infection. This disease is common in parts of Africa and South America.

Yellow fever risk countries map
Yellow fever risk countries map

The vaccine is very important for stopping outbreaks of the sickness. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Most people get protection within ten days of the shot. They are 99% protected after just one month. This protection seems to last for a person's whole life.

This vaccine works by using a weakened version of the virus. Scientists call this an attenuated virus. It is strong enough to teach the body how to fight, but too weak to cause the disease. The vaccine is given as an injection into a muscle or under the skin. Most people find it safe, though some might have a mild fever or a headache. Very few people have serious reactions. For example, severe allergies happen in about eight per million doses.

Yellow fever vaccination travel requirements map
Yellow fever vaccination travel requirements map

Finding the right vaccine took many years of hard work. In the early 1900s, scientists like Hideyo Noguchi tried to make one. He thought the disease was caused by a bacterium, but he was wrong. Later, researchers used human serum to make a vaccine. This worked, but it was hard to make enough for everyone. In 1937, Max Theiler discovered a much better way. He found a special version of the virus called 17D. This discovery helped him win the Nobel Prize in 1951.

Today, the 17D vaccine is the only one used around the world. It is grown using chicken eggs to help the virus multiply.

More than 400 million doses of this vaccine have been given. Since the 1930s, only 12 cases of yellow fever have happened after 600 million doses. These few cases all happened within five years of the shot. This shows that the vaccine stays strong as time goes by. Even though it is old, it is still very effective.

Many people use the vaccine when they travel to new places. Some countries even require a certificate to prove you had the shot.

Yellow fever risk countries map
Yellow fever risk countries map

The World Health Organization says babies should get it between nine and twelve months old. People traveling to places where the disease is common should get it too. You should get the shot ten days before you travel. This gives your body enough time to build up its defenses. It is a simple way to stay healthy while exploring the world.

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File:Soviet International Certificate of Vaccination or Revaccination Against Yellow Fever.jpg
Soviet International Certificate of...
File:Yellow fever risk countries map.svg
Yellow fever risk countries map.svg
File:Yellow fever vaccination travel requirements map.svg
Yellow fever vaccination travel...
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