Brazil Reports 211 Additional Yellow Fever Cases and 38 Deaths

The Brazilian Ministry of Health has updated the yellow fever virus outbreak, which began during July 2017.

As of March 27, 2018, there have been 1,131 confirmed cases of yellow fever virus, of which 338 people have died.

An additional 915 cases were still under investigation during this period.

Since January 2018, 10 cases of yellow fever have been confirmed in international travelers visiting Brazil, including four deaths.

Yellow fever virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes yellow fever, an acute infectious disease that occurs in South America and sub-Saharan Africa. Most patients with yellow fever are asymptomatic.

But, among the 15 percent who develop severe illness, the yellow fever case fatality rate ranges up to 60 percent, says the CDC.

The yellow fever virus has now been reported circulating in metropolitan regions, where 35.8 million people live in areas that have never had a recommendation of the vaccine.

Brazilian health officials are now recommending the yellow fever vaccine for all citizens.

This immunization program has already begun and should be completed by April 2019.

Currently, some Brazilian states in the Northeast and part of the South and Southeast are not part of the vaccine recommendation areas. With this vaccination expansion, 77.5 million people should be vaccinated throughout the country.

In response to this outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued a Level 2 Travel Alert for Brazil and are urging travelers to get the yellow fever vaccination before their trip.

In the USA, Sanofi Pasteur received FDA approval to distribute the STAMARIL® Yellow Fever Vaccine through an Expanded Access Investigational New Drug Program during the YF-VAX vaccine shortage, which may end in late 2018.

Various pharmacies offer the STAMARIL and YF-VAX vaccines, as well as other travel vaccines.

The CDC Vaccine Price List provides the private sector prices and general information, and discounts can be found here.