Brazil to require yellow fever vaccination from Angola and Congo travelers

This Monday (Jul. 11) Brazil's government will begin to require yellow fever vaccination certificates from people traveling to and from Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa. The requirement was recommended by the Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) due to a disease outbreak in those countries.

In case the travelers are in transit through Angola or the Democratic Republic of Congo at least 7 days prior to their arrival to Brazil, they must present their certificate. Travelers who received the yellow fever vaccine in less than 10 days will be allowed to get into the country, but they will have to remain in quarantine in order to get their certificates checked or for a period of up to six days, counted from the last possible infection exposure.

In case of contraindications for the vaccine, the traveler will have to present a medical certificate, written in Portuguese, English, French, or Spanish, to be allowed to get into the national territory.

Transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are also the vectors for Zika virus, dengue fever, and chikungunya, urban yellow fever was last reported in Brazil in 1942. Last year, nine cases of jungle yellow fever were recorded in Brazil, with five deaths. This year, until April, one fatal case was identified.

Yellow fever vaccination has been in place in Brazil since 1937. It is available from public health centers free of charge. According to the Health Ministry, the vaccine is highly effective and safe to administer to residents and travelers going to areas under vaccine recommendations from nine months old, or from six months old during outbreaks.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta