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“Prevention is always better than cure”. This is a famous quote that holds true in real life as well. When you are planning to spend some quality time with your family and are looking forward to visit a foreign country, then prevention against the potent diseases that are at high risk in those countries is not a bad idea. And if you are headed towards tropical regions of Africa, or South America for that matter, Yellow Fever Immunization is a must for you.
Wondering why?
Well, let’s discuss what yellow fever is and when you plan to travel the above mentioned parts of the world, why immunization against it becomes so critical?
Yellow fever is a viral disease that is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. The symptoms include body pain, nausea and fever in the initial stages. In advanced stages, the liver gets damaged and can eventually lead to death. The patient acquires a yellow hue because of the jaundice that he/she develops as a result of the liver failure, hence the name Yellow Fever. The patient is also at the risk of an increased blood haemorrhage, because of the viral infection hence the condition is categorised as haemorrhagic fever.
It is a potentially fatal disease, with an estimate of approximately 30,000 deaths per year caused due to it (World Health Organization). And the fact that there is no treatment for the disease apart from getting immunized against it makes it so important to take vaccinations before travelling.
The vaccination is in the form of a live but potentially weak virus and is supplemented in the form of an injection. Though the vaccination is safe, but usually mild fever and soreness of the body are associated with the vaccination. The vaccination takes some time to become potentially effective, approximately 10-14 days, so make sure you get the immunization done with plenty of time to spare in your journey.
Looking at the severity of the infection, the governments of various countries in the African region have made it mandatory for the travellers to possess a proof of immunization when visiting these countries. So, when you receive your vaccination, make sure to take "International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis" which is a yellow card duly signed and stamped by a certified doctor. This will be act as your proof of vaccination when travelling to the countries which area at a high risk of yellow fever infection.
Travel Clinic NYC is a certified Yellow fever clinic. They offer services for individuals as well as people traveling in groups for business or recreation purposes. Log on to www.travelclinicnyc.com if you want to get immunized against yellow fever or other life threatening diseases.
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