If I told you that there is no need for yellow fever vaccine booster would you still come to the travel clinic?: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine and Vaccines
• Main Authors: Iolanda Alves, Rosa Teodósio, Filomena Pereira
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2021
• Subjects: Travelers; Travel health consultation; Prevention; Yellow fever vaccine; International health regulation amendment; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40794-021-00132-8; https://doaj.org/article/028bae4900074882abc64db58dedfb7f

Abstract Background Yellow Fever (YF) immunization required a single dose vaccine with boosters every 10 years. After International Health Regulation (IHR) amendment annex 7 (July 2016), it was accepted that a single dose confers lifelong immunity. Since pre-travel advice is as important as vaccination when traveling, it is essential to clarify why travelers come to a travel health consultation, with the possibility of IHR amendment having a negative impact on travelers’ health. This study aims to describe travelers’ reasons to come to a pre-travel consultation in Lisbon and if they would return if they wouldn’t need the YF vaccine booster. Methods An observational cross-sectional study was conducted during 5 months in the waiting room of Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical travel clinic in Lisbon, Portugal. Travelers were asked about sociodemographic characteristics, destination country, travel duration and reasons to travel in an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Results A total of 1043 travelers agreed to participate in the study. Although 61.0% (627/1028) did not come to the clinic to get the YF vaccine, from those who did, 36.7% (133/362) would not come and 12.9% (47/362) didn’t knew if they would come if the vaccine would not be necessary. Conclusion The IHR amendment may have a negative impact on travel clinic attendance and on travelers´ health.