Yellow Fever -- specific format?
 

Hello,

In prep for our Africa drive next month, we got vaccinated at home (California), and received proof of same.

"Proof", in our case, was our vacc report, printed on a yellow standard sheet of paper, and stamped with the CA authority to give out the YF vaccine.

In our travels, I've noticed people referring to some sort of standardized booklet or card that contains their vacc record.

I phoned our doctor, and she had no idea what I was talking about.

Now I'm concerned about our paperwork being acceptable at the border crossings along the west coast route to south africa. Will our sheet of paper be acceptable? It's 100% in English and not terribly impressive looking.

Is there a way to get our vacc record "transcribed" onto something more familiar to the border people? I don't want to repeat the 6 different jabs, obviously, but I'd happily pay someone to make our vacc docs "official" if that makes sense?

Thanks for any insights. :)

- Mike

Hello Mike:

Welcome to the HUBB community.

The exact appearance of the certificate varies a bit from country to country (meaning, which country issues it), but the WHO has established guidelines for countries to follow. Below is a link to the appropriate WHO website - read through what they have to say there, and compare your certificate to what you find mandated.

International certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis

Below is a link to an image showing the certificate issued in the USA. This image appears on the American CDC (Center for Disease Control) website. It's not quite as impressive as the booklet issued by some other countries, but if your certificate looks like this, it is compliant.

American Yellow Fever Certificate

Michael

Hello Mike

As PanEuropean says it's a different format depending in which country its issued.

My daughter had to get a Yellow Fever vaccination in the UK this year for a trip to Uganda and the document given to her from the doctor was a small card booklet containing a date stamp and signature.

Good luck

Bones

Thanks guys -- I really wish it was a booklet full of impressive seals, stamps, and counterfoils, and not something just spewed out of an inkjet printer. :)


From reading the CDC link, my paperwork matches generally, although there is no clinician signature (just a printed "Kaiser Permanente", and the date format is all-numeric. Since my jabs were all in 2016, none are close enough to expiring for the month to matter, I think.

This gives me some peace. At least now if I get hassled, I can pull up a saved version of the CDC website, which is even more information-dense, and can hypnotize any non-english-speaking border guard with it. :D

Cheers,

- Mike

Don't worry, just spend your time ignoring them if they give you any hassle. I've previously been asked for an AIDS-free certificate at a little Senegalese border ... I left him with my passport and Yellow Fever certificate and walked away laughing. He soon got bored & returned it all to me.

For those who (like me) are almost at the end of their 10 year Yellow Fever vaccination, there is a problem in W.Africa currently!

The WHO have agreed that a YF is now valid for life, not 10 years. However not everywhere (& every border crossing) has decided to agree to this! I've got a meeting with my Tropical Diseases doctor in a week or so to see what to do, renew my almost expired YF (a month left to run) or, as I'm hoping, just get a new stamp, date and signature!

Just been to see my Tropical Diseases doctor who has issued me with a new certificate, stamped and signed for border purposes ... I arrived with my old ones (2 of the 4 previous vaccine certificates) to show I had had several & we were in agreement. :D

I will be taking all the documentation with me, the current YF runs out whilst I'm away!

In light of the WHO change with this my doctor saw no reason to give me another vaccination, also didn't charge me a penny! Thankfully in France at least things are seen sensibly!

Glad to have known this doctor for a while!!! :clap: