Only persons travelling to and from countries where yellow fever is endemic are required to be vaccinated and have proof of immunisation, says Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Shamdeo Persaud.
Persaud was at the time clarifying the Yellow Fever immunisation requirements for persons desirous of entering Guyana and those desirous of undertaking international travel.
The CMO noted that in light of the recent outbreak of the virus in the Southern African country of Angola, a number of countries that have stipulations regarding yellow fever would have imposed those requirements as a means of preventing cross-border transmission of the virus.
Guyana, he said, like most South American countries, is listed as being in a zone where yellow fever is known to be transmitted, especially in heavily forested regions.
But while Guyana’s last reported case of Yellow Fever spans a period of more than 30 years, Persaud explained that there are conditions in the country that can easily allow for the transmission of the virus.
This, he said, includes the presence of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito—a vector that is also known to transmit the Chikungunya, Dengue and Zika viruses—as well as the fact that Guyana is bordered by other countries that are deemed ‘high risk’ for the transmission of yellow fever.
With this in mind, Persaud explained that it is only logical for all countries of the Americas, including Guyana, to want to protect against the introduction of yellow fever; this, he said, would have seen several travel agents and airlines advising travelers of such requirements.
“So far, the list that has been supplied by WHO (World Health Organisation) includes many countries in the African continent along with Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia in South America as countries that require persons to be vaccinated before entry or a yellow fever vaccine for persons who are travelling from these countries,” Persaud said.
“It’s for persons going from one endemic area to another endemic area,” he further clarified.
But while countries like Trinidad, Argentina and Panama are listed as requiring vaccines, he noted that Guyana usually exempts travelers from those countries.
Further, he wished to make clear that proof of immunisation is not required for those who are travelling to and from the US, Canada, UK or Europe and the Caribbean.
Alluding to the fact that some countries, like Jamaica, are moving to impose their own immunisation requirements, Persaud noted that because Guyana is listed as an ‘at risk’ country, Guyanese travelling to Jamaica were required to provide proof of yellow fever immunisation. However, he noted that the Public Health Ministry has since been informed of a decision by the Jamaican government to reconsider this requirement for Guyanese travelers.
Additionally, the CMO explained that while it was previously advised that persons receive immunisation against yellow fever every 10 years, the WHO has since stated that only one dose of the vaccine is needed to provide an individual with lifetime immunity.
International certificate
“So if anyone has the card or evidence that they have been immunised at least once, that is enough for you to be issued an international certificate of vaccination that would allow you to travel to the countries that have the requirement,” he explained.
However, if the ministry does not find any record of immunisation, the individual would be required to be vaccinated for yellow fever again before the certificate can be issued.
More importantly, Persaud advised that for those travelling to countries that have the vaccine requirement and have never been immunised against yellow fever, the vaccine should be obtained at least 10 days prior to travel so as to allow the stimulation of the antibodies that would provide coverage against the infectious disease.
He also advised that the international certification of immunisation against yellow fever (Yellow Card) is valid for life and, therefore, persons who are desirous of uplifting theirs are asked to take along proof of immunisation to have their certificate issued.
Once obtained, Persaud stated that the card should be kept with the person’s passport as part of the documentation that is used for travel.
In the event of the misplaced Yellow Cards, he explained that once the Ministry can find proof of immunisation, the card would be reissued.
Meanwhile, Dr. Onica Scott, of the Maternal and Child Health Unit of the Ministry of Public Health, explained that the yellow fever vaccine is a part of the Ministry’s regular vaccination schedule for infants, one-year and older. As a result, she advised parents and guardians to ensure their children have been vaccinated as recommended.
She noted that the vaccine can be accessed at all health centres across the country while the Yellow Card can be uplifted from several points, including the Office of the Ministry of Public Health, the public health office at the Suddie hospital compound as well as those in Lethem and New Amsterdam as well as the St Joseph Mercy Hospital, which, she said, would be the only private institution on board.
Additionally, she explained that a fee of $1,000 would be required for the issuance of the certificate, with special exemptions being given to persons 65 years and older and children 12 years and under.
Scott also wished to make clear that the vaccine cannot be obtained at the airport since it is advised that the vaccine be obtained at least 10 days before travel. She explained that several persons have showed up at the airport demanding the vaccine.
On another note, she pointed out that the Ministry of Health’s site alone has managed to administer 1,500 doses of the vaccine in the past 2 weeks, while New Amsterdam administered an additional 1,000, which would indicate an increase in the administering of the vaccine.
However, Scott related that the number has started to dwindle.
Nevertheless, Persaud reiterated that the Ministry’s objective is twofold—the vaccination of Guyanese that are leaving Guyana, which is listed as high risk, and going to another country that is either endemic or high risk; and secondly, the requirement of proof of immunisation from persons entering that have arrived from countries that have an endemic or are high risk.
He noted that the Ministry is expecting an additional shipment of the vaccine soon.
With symptoms that include fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue, yellow fever is said to have an incubation period of six days and a mortality rate of 35%, with at least half of those being severely affected patients who do not receive treatment die within 10 to 14 days.
Since the disease was first detected in Luanda, Angola in late December, 2015, the WHO has reported a total of 3,464 suspected cases, of which 868 are confirmed.
The total number of reported deaths was listed as 353, of which 116 were reported among confirmed cases as of June 24, 2016. The outbreak has been described as the deadliest to have hit Angola in 30 years.
