Yellow Fever Vaccination & Certificate

Yellow fever is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes that bite during the day. The illness can begin with a sudden fever, headache and muscle aches, and while many people recover, a proportion go on to develop a severe phase with jaundice, bleeding and organ failure that can be fatal. There is no specific treatment, so prevention through mosquito-bite avoidance and vaccination is essential. The disease is found in tropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America, and the risk to an individual traveller depends on the destination, the time of year and the activities planned.

Stamaril is the yellow fever vaccine used in the UK. It is a live vaccine given as a single injection, usually into the upper arm, and provides strong, long-lasting protection in the large majority of people who receive it. A single dose is now considered to give life-long immunity for most travellers, in line with WHO and TravelHealthPro guidance. Because it is a live vaccine, a careful assessment of your age, health, allergies and itinerary is needed before vaccination — this is why it can only be given at a registered centre by trained staff. The dose should be given at least 10 days before travel, as the certificate only becomes valid after this period.

Proof of yellow fever vaccination is recorded on the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), a yellow document recognised under the International Health Regulations. Since 2016, a single dose is accepted as giving lifelong protection, and the ICVP is now valid for the life of the person vaccinated — earlier certificates that stated a 10-year validity remain valid for life and do not need renewing. The certificate only becomes valid 10 days after the date of vaccination, so booking in good time is important. To be valid, the ICVP must be completed correctly and bear the official stamp of a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre; a vaccine given elsewhere without this stamp will not be accepted at borders.

There are two separate reasons a traveller may need yellow fever vaccination: to protect their own health where the disease is present, and to meet a country's entry requirements. Some countries require proof of vaccination from all arriving travellers, while others require it only from those arriving from, or transiting through, a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission. Requirements can differ even for short stopovers, so it is essential to check the rules for every country on your itinerary. You can use our yellow fever certificate checker to look up requirements by country before you book.

The yellow fever vaccine is not suitable for everyone. It may be unsuitable for infants under 9 months, people with weakened immune systems, those with a serious allergy to a vaccine component such as egg, and some older travellers, depending on the individual assessment. Where a traveller has a genuine medical reason not to be vaccinated but is travelling to a country that requires proof, a registered centre may issue a medical waiver (exemption) letter on the official certificate after a careful assessment. A waiver is not a guarantee of entry — the final decision rests with the destination country — so reducing mosquito-bite risk and discussing the itinerary in detail are especially important for these travellers.

Crewe Travel Clinic is a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre, which means we are authorised to administer Stamaril and to issue the official ICVP certificate. We see travellers from across Crewe, Nantwich, Sandbach, Alsager and Stoke-on-Trent, as well as the wider Cheshire and Staffordshire area. At your appointment, a travel health professional will review your itinerary, age and health, confirm whether the vaccine is suitable for you, check the entry requirements for each country on your trip, and complete your certificate correctly. Because the certificate only becomes valid 10 days after vaccination, we recommend booking well ahead of departure.