Yellow Fever
What is it?
Yellow fever is caused by yellow fever virus and can lead to severe liver disease. It is spread through infected mosquito bites. Yellow fever can cause jaundice (which is why this is called yellow fever), bleeding, and fever. There is no treatment for yellow fever, but it can be prevented with vaccination.
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Yellow fever vaccination is not routinely recommended unless you are visiting specific areas where it is common (certain regions of Africa and South America).
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If you are allergic to eggs, please talk to your doctor before receiving this vaccine.
Vaccine Information:
Active Ingredients:
YF-VAX contains live, attenuated, yellow fever virus that were grown in chicken embryo cells (contains egg proteins).
Inctive Ingredients:
Stabilizers:
*Some religions such as Islam and Judaism prohibit the consumption of porcine (pork) products. However, according to Jewish law, this does not extend to vaccines because it is not oral consumption. In addition, in Islam, the use of porcine gelatin in vaccines is permitted if lives are at risk and there are no alternatives
Liquid for injection:
Definitions
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Attenuated: The pathogen is weakened but not completely inactivated. Attenuated pathogens are too weak to cause disease in almost all people.
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Bile: a fluid stored in the liver that is involved in digestion
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Embryo: the stage of development shortly after fertilization
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Jaundice: when the skin and eyes turn yellow. This is caused by a high level of bilirubin, which is a pigment in bile that comes from the breakdown of red blood cells.
Sources:
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Package insert: https://products.sanofi.ca/en/yf-vax.pdf
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General:
Sorbitol:
Gelatin:
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Sodium chloride: https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/sodium-salt-and-you
Last updated: Mar. 30, 2024