Brazil Launches Massive Yellow Fever Vaccination Campaign

Brazilian health officials have announced a massive vaccination campaign against the yellow fever virus.

This vaccination campaign will run from February 3rd to the 24th, 2018, targeting 53 cities, including Sao Paulo City, the capital.

Health authorities say ‘that the vaccine given during the campaign, however, will be ‘fractionized’, or divided into four doses,’ according to the Rio Times. 

“The expectation is that with the fractionated dose about 4.5 million people will be vaccinated with another 1.5 million will be given the full dose,” explained Rejane de Paula, director of the Center for Epidemiological Surveillance for São Paulo state said during a press conference.

“There is no difference in efficacy between fractional and integral vaccines. What we are discussing is the time it endures by protecting at the level of sufficient antibodies for a number of years,” noted David Uip São Paulo state’s Health Secretary.

The fractionated dose was defined by a Ministry of Health directive and has proven efficacy for eight years, while the full dose lasts a lifetime.

According to health officials, children between nine months and two years, pregnant women in risk areas, those with renal and diabetes problems and those traveling to countries where the vaccine is required, will be given the full dose.

In early 2017, the Brazilian Ministry of Health reported an outbreak of yellow fever, and subsequently, the World Health Organization expanded the list of areas for which yellow fever vaccination is recommended for international travelers.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had issued a Level 2 Travel Alert for Brazil during 2017.

The CDC reports the Brazilian Ministry of Health maintains a regular list of all other cities in Brazil for which yellow fever vaccination has been recommended. 

The CDC says that anyone 9 months or older who travels to or lives in these areas should be vaccinated against yellow fever.

Because of the current limited availability of yellow fever vaccine, international travelers should schedule their vaccination well in advance of travel.

Sanofi Pasteur has worked with the Food and Drug Administration to make another yellow fever vaccine available in the USA. This vaccine, STAMARIL, is currently distributed in over 70 countries.

According to International Health Regulations, the yellow fever vaccine must be administered at certified vaccination centers and pharmacies.

Travelers to Brazil can find locations that can administer STAMARIL vaccine by visiting the CDC web page.

Providers and patients may also visit the CDC Travelers' Health for information about which countries require yellow fever vaccination for entry and for which countries the CDC recommends getting the yellow fever vaccination.