Singapore health officials are reminding travelers to receive vaccination against yellow fever at least ten days before travelling to yellow fever endemic countries.

Image/CIA
Image/CIA

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is issuing this reminder as Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo are currently experiencing large outbreaks of the disease. We also expect more travelers to Rio de Janerio, Brazil in August 2016 for the Summer Olympic Games. While Rio de Janerio itself is not endemic for Yellow Fever, the majority of the states in Brazil are yellow fever endemic.

Vaccination is the most effective preventive measure against yellow fever. The vaccine confers lifelong protection against the disease ten days after vaccination. A booster dose is not required.

Although there are as yet no reported cases of yellow fever in Singapore, any importation of the disease risks the disease taking root here due to the presence of the Aedes mosquito vector.

Yellow fever is a mosquito borne acute viral hemorrhagic disease caused by the yellow fever virus. It is transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, similar to dengue and Zika virus infection. The majority of the infected persons are asymptomatic or have only mild illness. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, joint aches, loss of appetite and nausea or vomiting.

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