Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre

Yellow Fever Vaccinations

The Windrush Medical Practice is a registered Yellow Fever Centre and able to provide yellow fever vaccinations to its own patients and to anyone from any other practice who contacts them.

If you’re travelling to an area with a risk of yellow fever there’s a highly effective vaccination given as an injection in the upper arm. The vaccination needs to be administered at least 10 days before travel to allow it time to work and for the certificate to be valid for travel. After you have received the vaccine you are given a yellow fever vaccine certificate to prove that you have had it.

It is important to make the initial enquiry with us as early as possible – at least 3 weeks before you travel (unless exceptional circumstance, please still contact us i.e. last minute travel) – these vaccines have to be ordered as they are not a stock vaccine.

To book an appointment please complete the Travel Risk Assessment form. The nurse will then respond to your enquiry within 5 working days.

For further information regarding the Yellow Fever Vaccine please go to: Yellow fever – Vaccination – NHS (www.nhs.uk).

The yellow fever vaccine can cause some side effects, but the risk of not being vaccinated usually outweighs the risk of having side effects.

After having the vaccine, up to 1 in every 3 people gets:

  • a headache
  • muscle pain
  • a raised temperature
  • soreness at the injection site

These side effects usually pass within 2 weeks.

Rarely, a person can get more serious side effects, including an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients in the vaccine.

A very rare side effect of the vaccine can cause problems with the brain or other organs, which can be fatal. This is more likely to affect:

  • people aged 60 or older
  • people with weakened immune systems
  • anyone who’s had their thymus gland removed or has a thymus gland disorder

Get medical advice if you feel very unwell within a few days or weeks of having the yellow fever vaccine.

The yellow fever vaccination provides lifelong protection and certificates are valid for life. Booster injections aren’t needed for most travellers. If you are not sure if or when you had the yellow fever vaccination or you think you may need a booster, our practice nurse will be able to advise you further.

Yellow fever is a serious infection spread through the bite of a mosquito. The mosquitoes that have the virus are usually found in towns and rural areas, and tend to bite during the day. Areas where there’s a risk of yellow fever are:

  • Most of Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Most of South America
  • Parts of Central America
  • Parts of the Caribbean

Some countries require proof of the vaccination to enter the country.