The fever vaccine is not recommended for people over 60, pregnant women, breastfeeding women or people with weakened immune systems, as there is a risk that the vaccine will not work or that fever-like signs and symptoms will appear yellow, for example.
The vaccine against yellow fever is provided by the Unified Health System and is mandatory for people living in endemic regions, should be taken from 9 months, and for those traveling to regions where there is a greater risk of contact with the mosquito, must be administered at least 10 days before the trip. See when to get the yellow fever vaccine.
Who should not take
The contraindications of the yellow fever vaccine are related to the person's immune system function, because as the vaccine is made with the live attenuated virus, if the immune system is weakened, the recognition and production of antibodies does not happen, which can lead to the appearance of signs and symptoms similar to yellow fever. Therefore, prior to vaccination, it is important that an assessment of the person's general health status is carried out to find out whether he is able or not to receive the vaccine and, thus, to avoid serious reactions or that the vaccine is effective.
The vaccine is not recommended in the following cases:
- Children under 6 months, due to the immaturity of the immune system, in addition to a greater risk of neurological reactions and a greater chance of the vaccine having no effect; People over 60, because the immune system is already weakened due to age, which increases the chance of the vaccine not working and reactions to the vaccine. For this reason, it is important that people over 60 years old get the vaccine only if recommended by the doctor, according to the person's immune system and the risk of infection by the yellow fever virus; During pregnancy, it is recommended only in case of an epidemic and after the doctor's release. In the case of pregnant women who live in regions with a higher risk of yellow fever, it is recommended that the vaccine be taken during pregnancy planning, if the woman has not been vaccinated in childhood; Women who are breastfeeding babies under 6 months, to avoid serious reactions; People with diseases that weaken the immune system, such as cancer or HIV infection, for example; Treatment with corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, since it also decreases the efficiency of the immune system; People who have undergone organ transplantation; Carriers of autoimmune diseases, such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis, for example, as they also interfere with immunity.
In addition, people who have a history of severe allergic reactions to egg or gelatin should also not get the vaccine. Thus, people who cannot get the yellow fever vaccine should take steps to avoid contact with the mosquito, such as wearing long-sleeved pants and blouses, repellents and musketeers, for example. Learn more about ways to protect yourself from yellow fever.
Other recommendations
After vaccination it is common for the person to feel muscle pain and at the application site, however these symptoms disappear after a few hours or days, being considered only reactions to the application of the vaccine. To relieve symptoms, it is recommended to gently rub an ice stone on the vaccine site, as it helps to relieve symptoms.
In the case of blood donors, it is important to wait 30 days after vaccination to be able to donate blood, because after the vaccine the virus remains in circulation for about 3 weeks and can be transmitted to another person through donation, for example.
See more information about yellow fever.
