Yellow fever — acute infectious viral disease. Transmitted through mosquito bites. The disease is characterized by a severe course with a predominance of intoxication, icteric and hemorrhagic syndromes. Outbreaks occur primarily in tropical and subtropical regions of South America and sub-Saharan Africa. The prevalence of the disease reaches its maximum during periods of heavy rain, that is, when humidity is high. There are no specific drugs for the treatment of yellow fever; treatment is limited to relieving symptoms while the body itself fights the infection.
Mexico is not considered a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission and does not require a yellow fever vaccination certificate upon entry into its territory, even for persons arriving from countries with a high risk of yellow fever transmission. However, you may need such a certificate if you are traveling to a country that requires such a certificate. In particular, a number of African countries require foreign travelers to be vaccinated in order to reduce the risk of yellow fever on their territory.
Here is a sample list of countries that require a yellow fever vaccination certificate from all international travelers over 1 year of age:
- Angola
- Burundi
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Guinea-Bissau
- Congo
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Mali
- Niger
- Suriname
- Sierra Leona
- Togo
- French Guyana
And these are the states that require such a certificate if you are coming from a country in which there is a risk of contracting yellow fever, or have been in such a country in transit for more than 12 hours:
- Australia
- Algeria
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Belize
- Benin
- Botswana
- Brunei
- Butane
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Guyana
- Guadeloupe
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Grenada
- Darussalam
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Egypt
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- India
- Jordan
- Iraq
- Iran
- Cape Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- China
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lesotho
- Libya
- Mauritius
- Madagascar
- Mayotte
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Malta
- Martinique
- Mozambique
- Montserrat
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nepal
- New Caledonia
- Oman
- Pitcairn Island
- Pakistan
- Paraguay
- Reunion
- Samoa
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Seychelles
- Senegal
- Saint Martin
- Singapore
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Thailand
- Tanzania
- Timon-Flattery
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tristan de Acuda
- Uganda
- Wallis and Futuna
- Fiji
- Philippines
- Sri Lanka
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- South Africa
- Jamaica
If any state requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate, you can get vaccinated and receive one in Mexico. The only yellow fever vaccine approved by WHO — Stamaril by Sanofi Pasteur. And it is the only vaccine given for yellow fever in Mexico and other countries around the world for international travel. The Brazilian 17DD vaccine produced by Bio-Manguinhos is not recommended for use. After vaccination, a state-issued International Vaccination Certificate (Certificado Internacional de Vacunación) is issued.
The main institutions where vaccination against yellow fever is allowed in Mexico are the medical centers of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). One of them — Travelers ClinicClínica del Viajero. The clinic is located in the University City of Mexico at Av. Universidad 3002, C.U., Coyoacán, 04510 Ciudad de México, CDMX, . Open Monday — Friday 9:00 — 17:00, Saturday 10:00 — 14:00.
Although they also have a location in Terminal 2 of Mexico City International Airport (AICM), they do not offer yellow fever vaccinations there.
Other medical institutions where you can get a yellow fever vaccination and certificate in Mexico City are Centro Médico ABC, Centro de Salud «Dr. Ángel Brioso Vasconcelos», Instituto Nacional de Nutrición (Clínica Viajero) and a number of commercial clinics. For example, Centro Médico ABC on its website shows the price of such a vaccination at 2430 MXN. However, they still issue certificates to UNAM.
To find out where you can get a yellow fever vaccine in your city, search Google for «vacuna fiebre amarilla» + the name of your city in Spanish.
In Cancun, you can get vaccinated against yellow fever at the Galenia, Amerimed, Clínica Morelos, and Hospital Joya hospitals. Allowed, there are other places. In all circumstances, you should find out in advance whether the vaccine is available.
The rules require that the vaccination be given at least 10 days before arriving in the destination country. A single dose of the vaccine is enough to provide lifelong immunity against the disease, although the certificate is valid for 10 years.
Vaccine Stamaril — This is a double dose vaccine. This means that in one package (vial) there is a dose of vaccine designed for 2 people, which is due to the technological requirements for the vaccine. You will need to contact the clinic much in advance so that they can put you on a waiting list before someone else becomes available who also needs to be vaccinated. Or you can bring your friend who, like you, needs such a vaccination.