Do nursing mothers need an ICVP for yellow fever?

Do nursing mothers need an ICVP for yellow fever? - Top view of crop anonymous person hand with red paper heart on table with stethoscope and medical mask for coronavirus prevention

I'm a nursing mother and my child is only 6 months old. We want to travel to Nigeria on the 12th of June. Is it necessary to have an international certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis (ICVP), as yellow fever vaccination is contraindicated for nursing mothers?



Best Answer

You have a few options. In a rough order from the approaches most recommended by the likes of WHO and CDC and down:

  1. Postpone your travel. This is the obvious and safest option given the combination of the vaccine in question being passable to children via breast-feeding and children not being able to receive the vaccine in most circumstances.
  2. Get the vaccine anyway. WHO still recommends vaccination when travelling, as does the CDC.

    Pregnant women and nursing mothers should be counselled on the potential benefits and risks of vaccination so that they may make an informed decision about vaccination. Lactating women should be advised that the benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh alternatives. Vaccination is recommended, if indicated, for pregnant or breastfeeding women travelling to endemic areas when such travel cannot be avoided or postponed.

  3. Don't breastfeed and get the vaccine. Safer as there is no longer a risk of transmission to the child, but this is not recommended by most health organizations (see the quote from WHO above) as they generally suggest to breast feed for as long as possible.

  4. Return via a country that does not require an ICVP. To use a known example, if travelling from Australia to Nigeria and back

    a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age entering Australia within 6 days of having stayed over night or longer in a country wiht risk of yellow fever transmission.

    However Qatar has no such requirement. As such, if you were travelling from Australia to Nigeria you could use Qatar Airways, stop over in Qatar for a week and not have to produce a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

  5. The CDC provides for a waiver on medical grounds, but it's unlikely that nursing a child will fit this definition.




Pictures about "Do nursing mothers need an ICVP for yellow fever?"

Do nursing mothers need an ICVP for yellow fever? - Photo of White Daisy
Do nursing mothers need an ICVP for yellow fever? - Tilt Lens Photography of Daisy Flower
Do nursing mothers need an ICVP for yellow fever? - From above of pink gerbera and chrysanthemums of different colors arranged in elegant romantic bouquet accompanied with tender gypsophila



Can a nursing mother take yellow fever vaccine?

Until more information is available, Yellow Fever vaccine should be avoided in breastfeeding women. However, when travel of nursing mothers to a Yellow Fever endemic area cannot be avoided or postponed, these women should be vaccinated.

Do you need a yellow fever card?

The yellow fever vaccine protects against yellow fever. After you have received the vaccine you are given a yellow fever vaccine certificate to prove that you have received the vaccine and are protected from infection. This certificate is designed to fit inside your passport, and is valid for life.

Who Cannot take yellow fever vaccine?

Who should not get yellow fever vaccine? Infants younger than 6 months of age should not get the vaccine. In addition, anyone with a severe allergy to any part of the vaccine, including eggs, chicken proteins, or gelatin should not get the vaccine.

Do vaccine antibodies pass through breast milk?

A recent study, published in the Obstetrics & Gynecology journal, found that breastfeeding babies can receive COVID-19 antibodies from their vaccinated mothers, giving the babies passive immunity against the virus.



Bureau of Quarantine 2022 | Yellow Card Online Appointment




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Karolina Grabowska, Alan Cabello, Matthias Cooper, Karolina Grabowska