Worldwide Vaccine Shortage
May 2016: The current outbreak of yellow fever in Angola has resulted in at least 200 deaths since January this year, and the resulting demand for the vaccine has led to a worldwide shortage.
Yellow fever is an acute viral disease, transmitted to humans by a mosquito. The disease is common in tropical areas of Africa and Latin America.
Initial symptoms of yellow fever include muscle pain, back ache, fever, nausea and vomiting. About 15% of infected patients will develop serious complications like bleeding, liver and kidney failure, which may lead to death. The “yellow” in the name refers to the jaundice (a yellow tinge to the skin and eyes) that arises when the disease affects the liver.
There is no treatment for the virus, only supportive care to manage the symptoms and complications which may arise.
However, unlike Zika and Ebola, yellow fever currently has an effective vaccine, which offers 99% protection within thirty days of administration.**
Unfortunately, the demand for vaccination in Angola and neighbouring countries has outstripped the supply. A total of 7.5 million people need vaccination in Angola which is 1.5million more than the global stockpile of yellow fever vaccines.
Do South Africans need to worry?
South Africa is considered a “no risk” area – unlike a large part of Asia where the climate contributes to the spread of the virus.
South Africans only need to be concerned if they are travelling to a country of risk, in which case they must ensure that they have been vaccinated against yellow fever. Information about the assigned risk of a country can be found on the CDC website http://www.cdc.gov/yellowfever/maps/africa.html.
The South African international border control is very vigilant and requires proof of yellow fever vaccination (within the last ten years) when travelling to and from countries of risk.
Currently travel clinics in South Africa do have stock of yellow fever vaccines. South Africans who have plans for travel to areas of risk should therefore not encounter any problems when trying to obtain the vaccine.
References:
- http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs100/en/
- http://www.cdc.gov/yellowfever/maps/africa.html
- http://wwbhekisa.org/article/2016-04-07-yellow-fever-vaccines-diverted-to-hep-stem-angolan-epidemic
The information in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.
**Please note that the vaccine Stamaril is payable from savings.
