Yellow fever is a disease that has existed for centuries and continues to have grave health implications in the countries where it is present, with a current, ongoing outbreak in Brazil. It is one of the few diseases that is still bound by the International Health Regulations (World Health Organization [WHO], 2005), and can require an international certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis for entry to certain countries. It remains a serious disease for those living or visiting areas of risk, so a clear understanding of the risks by healthcare professionals is vital. Mosquito bite prevention is key to minimising the risk of exposure, but there is also an effective vaccine. However, this vaccine does have rare but serious potential side-effects. Due to this risk, the vaccine is contraindicated in some travellers, and extreme caution needs to be taken with other groups. In the UK, the vaccine can only be administered in registered centres by staff who have been trained accordingly. All staff advising and administering this vaccine need to be highly trained and understand the nature of the disease, as well as the risk assessment process to ensure that patients receive optimum healthcare advice.
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