FAQs

FAQs for Yellow Fever Vaccine

1.       What is Yellow Fever?

Ans.  Yellow fever is a viral infection causing jaundice, which is transmitted by mosquito bites. While this virus is present only in a few African / South American countries, the mosquito exists in large parts of the world including many Asian countries.

2.       Why is Yellow Fever Vaccine compulsory and other vaccines optional?

Ans. Yellow Fever Vaccine is NOT the most common problem in these countries. The idea behind this vaccination is to prevent you from catching this disease in one of the African / South American countries, and then coming to India, and spreading Yellow Fever in India. As stated above, other diseases may be much more common and deadly, and you should take vaccinations and precautions for the same to remain safe & healthy, by talking to your travel doctor.

3.       Are you an authorized center?

Ans.  We are NOT authorized by the government of India. However, we are authorized by the Yellow fever vaccine manufacturer (Sanofi Aventis – Multi National company) who have gotten the approval from WHO for their Yellow Fever Vaccine – STAMARIL, made in France. They have also taken permission from DCGI for the same to market this vaccine in India. The Govt of India does not give direct permission to any private health care facility to provide Yellow Fever Vaccination.

4.       How can I be sure that the vaccination taken from you would be accepted by my embassy / immigration etc.?

Ans. We have been providing Yellow Fever Vaccine since 2005, and thousands of clients have successfully taken the vaccination and traveled to different countries. In fact, a lot of our present business is by word of mouth publicity from past vaccine takers. However, we do NOT guarantee that you will not face any problems at embassy / immigration, since we are unable to interact with these authorities. Our certificates are displayed on our website, and we would be happy to show you the originals. As of September 2014, due to the Ebola scare, immigration authorities in India (at least the Delhi Airport) have started asking for the Government of India stamped Yellow Fever Vaccination certificate for people returning from Africa. Hence we are asking travelers to take Yellow Fever certificate from the Government centers or from abroad. The traveler is always responsible for clearing the immigration, and we do not take any responsibility for the same.

5.        What are the side-effects of this vaccine? I’ve read on the internet about serious problems that can be caused by this vaccine.

Ans. As said above, we have provided thousands of doses of this vaccine and have not faced any serious problems. Since this is a single dose, WHO approved French vaccine made by a leading Multi-national company, we are certain about the safety of the vaccine. The common problems reported by a small number of clients include local pain, mild fever and sometimes a little bit of swelling. Only one of our customers reported a mild rash after the vaccination. That being said, any medicine / vaccine can cause serious side-effects rarely. For example, even Crocin drops given to small babies have this warning “May cause liver damage”, even though it is one of the safest medicines, and can be given to even a day old child. Hence we do ask that you wait for a few minutes after the vaccination so that we can monitor you for any potentially serious problems. As said above, we have thankfully not faced any such problems, though we are prepared for the same if the need arises. Just to add, we are the only travel clinic in the country to have researched the Yellow Fever Vaccine and have published data for Yellow Fever Vaccine in Indian travelers at the 9th Asia Pacific travel health conference, Singapore in May 2012. We have also presented data regarding the safety of Yellow Fever Vaccine at International conference on patient safety, NIPER in March, 2012.

6.       Can I take a Crocin / other pain-killers if I get fever, pain or swelling after the vaccine?

Ans. Yes, while this is quite uncommon, for a mild reaction with little bit of fever, pain or swelling, you can take any OTC pain medicine including Crocin, Combiflam etc. If there is any doubt, please call us for clarification.

7.       My child is 4 year old; do I need to vaccinate her?

Ans. Yes, any child above the age of 1 year must take the Yellow Fever Vaccine. Children below 6 months should definitely NOT take the vaccine, while we generally prefer to give vaccines to infants above 9 months to provide protection against this disease.

8.       What other vaccines should I take if I’m traveling to XYZ country?

Ans. The list of travel vaccines varies in each country, and your travel doctor should be able to help you in this situation. Let us know where you are going and we would be glad to help. Remember, while Yellow Fever Vaccine is a legal requirement, many other diseases are far more common and much more serious for you & your family members while traveling abroad. Preferably meet a travel doctor at least 4-8 weeks before your travel date so that you can be protected against common illnesses.

9.       Can I send someone else to take my Yellow Fever Vaccine certificate?

Ans. No, the certificate has to be signed by your personally, in front of the certifying doctor. Hence we are unable to send it with anyone else.

10.   Can you just issue the certificate without giving me the vaccine, I am scared of injections?

          Ans. No, that would be cheating. We are only authorized to issue the certificate after vaccinating you. Of course, if there is a valid medical reason for not vaccinating you, we would be happy to assist you.

11.   What are the requirements for taking this vaccination?

Ans. All you need is the original passport. If that is not available, then the details of the passport (these are to be entered in the certificate) and any original photo ID proof (like voter ID card, PAN card, Driving license, PAN card) would suffice.

12.   Do I need to have the VISA before taking the vaccine?

Ans.  No.  The only necessity is the passport details (& original ID proof if original passport is NA). Visa is not needed

13.   My passport has gone to the embassy. Can I take the vaccine?

Ans. Yes. Just carry the details of your passport – preferably a photocopy, or send a scanned copy to our email. And carry an original photo ID proof, and we will do the vaccination.

14.   Do I need to send the original certificate to the embassy?

Ans. We do not know. Each embassy has a different requirement for issuing a Visa. Most would be happy with just a photocopy, but please check with your travel agent for the same. But you must carry the original certificate during immigration checks, along with your passport, while traveling to & from the affected African & South American countries.

15.   Where is this certificate checked, during going or coming back to India?

Ans. It can be checked by any immigration officer, either while going out of India, or while coming back to India, in either country. Generally speaking, it is more likely to be checked at Indian customs while returning back, though some countries like Brazil are quite strict in checking the same during arrival / departure.

16.   How soon before traveling can I take this vaccination?

Ans. The vaccination needs 10 days to become effective. It is valid for 10 years.

17.   I have taken the vaccination from some other center/ hospital, can you issue a certificate?

Ans. No, we can only certify vaccines taken from our center.

18. I have lost the vaccination certificate, can you issue a duplicate?

Ans. No, we cannot issue a duplicate certificate. The original unique sticker of the vaccination is attached to the certificate that we provide you. If you lose the original certificate, we need to revaccinate. There are generally no serious side-effects of revaccination.

19.  I am a vegetarian, and the govt center has refused to vaccinate me, citing possible egg allergy as a reason. Will you do it?

Ans. Yes, studies clearly show that there is no reason to test vegetarians for egg allergy before vaccination or avoid giving them the vaccine. We will do the vaccination under proper monitoring.

20.   I have egg allergy, will you vaccinate me?

Ans. It depends. For true egg allergy – meaning severe breathing problems, severe rash, and low BP etc. the vaccination is contraindicated. We will check your medical history and advise accordingly. For milder allergies like mild stomach pain or diarrhea after eating eggs, this is not a problem, and we have vaccinated many such individuals without any side-effects.

21.   Why are the govt center charges lesser than yours?

Ans. There are a couple of reasons for this.
a) The govt center uses an Indian vaccine while get the vaccination from France. The govt of India vaccination is actually not a WHO pre-approved vaccine, since the French vaccine that we use is a WHO pre-approved vaccine.

b) The govt vaccine is a multi-dose vial, and the same vial is used to vaccinate 10 different people. The vaccine that we use is a single dose vial, used for only 1 person with no risk of contamination.

Hence people can come to our clinic in any numbers, and on any day (except Sunday, and with prior appointment) for the vaccination. Also there is no significant waiting time, since unlike the govt centers that make you wait till they have 10 people before opening a new vial, no such problem exists here. Finally, given that this is a WHO approved single dose vaccine, the chances of side-effects are likely lesser with this vaccine.

22.  We are travel agency and would be interested in sending our clients to you, how do we proceed?

Ans. Please contact us so that we can assist you further.

23. Do you have any branches?

Ans. We are currently available at three locations.
1. TravelSafe Clinic - Mohali

Dr. Gaurav Gupta, MBBS, DCH, DNB
Member AAP, IAP, ISTM, ASTMH, BGTHA & IAMAT
SCF 85 (FF), Phase - 7
Mohali - 160061
Office Hours:
Mon - Sat:
9:30 am to 1:30 pm
5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Please contact us during regular office hours on 91-172-5092585, 91-172-4663775, 91-9872303775

2.TravelSafe Clinic – NOIDA (NCR, Delhi)
Dr ( Maj Gen) Rishi K Gupta,
MBBS( AIIMS), MD( Paed)
Ex Prof & HOD Paed AFMC Pune
H. no. 436, Sector 28,
NOIDA. U.P. (National Capital Region, Delhi)
Office Hours:
Mon - Sat:
8:00 am to 9:30 am
12 to 2:00 pm
5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Sunday (By appointment only)

Please contact us during regular office hours on 91-120-2453202, 91-9810806594

3. TravelSafe Clinic – Mumbai

(Mumbai Center no longer provides the Yellow Fever Vaccination)

Dr. Neeta Nathani, MD.

Nathani Clinic, Office No. 2, Vikas Center, Wadavali, C. G. road, Chembur, Mumbai 400074

mumbai@travelsafeclinic.com

Office Hours:

Mon – Sat: 10:00 am to 11:00 am 18:00 pm to 19:00 pm Sunday Closed

24. Are there different vaccines for children?

Ans. No, the same vaccine is given to children above the age of 1 year

25.  Can I get an exemption from this vaccination?

Ans. If you are pregnant, or have severe egg allergy (documented), or had a severe reaction to previous Yellow Fever Vaccine then you may be exempted from taking this vaccine. Carry your doctor’s certificate and supporting reports for the same.

26.   What are your credentials as a Travel doctor?

Ans. I’m glad you asked. It not only means that you are concerned regarding the quality of medical care that you receive, but it also gives me a chance to talk a bit about myself. We are member of International Society for Travel Medicine, American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene am a member of International Association of Medical Assistance to Travelers. We are also the sole Indian member of British & GlobalTravel Health Association. We have conducted & presented the only studies from India done on Stamaril, the WHO approved Yellow Fever vaccination that we are using in various International forums.

1. Knowledge, attitude and practices of the Indian travelers receiving Yellow fever vaccination. 9th Asia Pacific travel health conference, Singapore. May, 2012. Abstract No- 139
2. Safety & tolerability of Yellow fever vaccine in the healthy Indian travelers. International conference on patient safety, NIPER. March, 2012. Abstract No- 9.

You will find me a well read, articulate, friendly and knowledgeable travel & vaccine specialist, & will get the latest & best travel health advice in India at our clinic.                        

And finally, 

The most common FAQ for Yellow Fever Vaccine (most of our clients are from Punjab ;)

Can I drink after taking the Yellow Fever Vaccine?

Ans. Yes, you can eat & drink & make merry after the vaccine without any ill-effects whatsoever!

While we are at it, you do not need to be fasting or avoid any particular foods before taking the vaccine too.