The US Centre for Disease Control has recommended that travellers to Brazil get a yellow fever vaccine at least 10 days before travel, in the wake of ongoing outbreak of yellow fever in the country.
It also recommends travellers take step from prevent mosquito bites during their travel.
Multiple states of Brazil are affected in the outbreak, including near large urban areas and popular tourist destinations.
CDC recommends that people who are unable to get yellow fever vaccine or aren’t recommended to get it should avoid travelling to areas of Brazil where yellow fever vaccination is recommended.
Travelers going to areas with ongoing outbreaks may consider getting a booster dose of yellow fever vaccine if it has been 10 or more years since they were vaccinated, the centre warned.
Brazilian public health authorities announced in early 2017 an outbreak of yellow fever in several eastern states of Brazil, including areas where yellow fever was not traditionally considered to be a risk.
Since the end of 2017, yellow fever cases have reoccurred in several states, especially in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo, including areas close to the city of São Paulo.
In early 2018, a case of yellow fever was reported in an unvaccinated Dutch traveller who had stayed near the São Paulo metropolitan region.
Since then, there have been reports of other unvaccinated travellers to Brazil who visited areas with yellow fever outbreaks and contracted yellow fever; many of these travellers were infected on the island of Ilha Grande (Rio de Janeiro State).
Four travellers have died in this outbreak.
