Yellow Fever Vaccine

The Basics

What is Yellow Fever Vaccine?

A vaccine that protects against yellow fever.

Brand names for Yellow Fever Vaccine

Yf-Vax

How Yellow Fever Vaccine is classified

Vaccines

Yellow Fever Vaccine During Pregnancy

Yellow Fever Vaccine pregnancy category

Category N/ANote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.

What we know about taking Yellow Fever Vaccine while pregnant

Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with YF-VAX. It is also not known whether YFVAX can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. YF-VAX should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed. YF-VAX has not been evaluated in pregnant women. However, based on experience of other yellow fever vaccines, the following findings have been determined for safety and effectiveness. A casecontrol study of Brazilian women found no significant difference in the odds ratio of spontaneous abortion among vaccinated women compared to a similar unvaccinated group. (28) In a separate study in Trinidad, 100 to 200 pregnant females were immunized, no adverse events related to pregnancy were reported. In addition, 41 cord blood samples were obtained from infants born to mothers immunized during the first trimester. One of these infants tested positive for IgM antibodies in cord blood. The infant appeared normal at delivery, and no subsequent adverse sequelae of infection were reported. However, this result suggests that transplacental infection with 17D vaccine viruses can occur. (29) In another study involving 101 Nigerian women, the majority of whom (88%) were in the third trimester of pregnancy, none of the 40 infants who were delivered in a hospital tested positive for IgM antibodies as a criterion for transplacental infection with vaccine virus. However, the percentage of pregnant women who seroconverted was reduced compared to a non-pregnant control group (38.6% vs. 81.5%). (30) For further discussion of vaccination with YF-VAX during pregnancy and for documentation of a protective immune response to vaccine where it is deemed essential, contact the CDC at 1-970-2216400.

Taking Yellow Fever Vaccine While Breastfeeding

What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Yellow Fever Vaccine?

Yellow fever encephalitis has been reported in breastfed newborns whose mothers received yellow fever vaccine. Administration of yellow fever vaccine to breast-feeding women should be avoided except in situations where exposure to yellow fever viruses cannot be avoided or postponed. Infants under 6 months appear to be at an increased risk of encephalitis from the vaccine and should not be vaccinated. Infants over 9 months of age should be vaccinated themselves if they will be traveling with their mother to a yellow-fever endemic area.[1][2] Exposure to yellow fever vaccine via breastmilk would not increase the risk to an infant who also receives the vaccination.

Maternal / infant drug levels

Yellow fever encephalitis has been reported in breastfed newborns whose mothers received yellow fever vaccine. Administration of yellow fever vaccine to breast-feeding women should be avoided except in situations where exposure to yellow fever viruses cannot be avoided or postponed. Infants under 6 months appear to be at an increased risk of encephalitis from the vaccine and should not be vaccinated. Infants over 9 months of age should be vaccinated themselves if they will be traveling with their mother to a yellow-fever endemic area.[1][2] Exposure to yellow fever vaccine via breastmilk would not increase the risk to an infant who also receives the vaccination.

Possible effects of Yellow Fever Vaccine on milk supply

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Possible alternatives to Yellow Fever Vaccine

None listed