(RxWiki News) Planning to travel to Africa or Central or South America? Preparing for your trip may be a little more complicated than usual, according to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC).
If you are traveling to any of these regions, you may need a yellow fever vaccine. And the CDC has announced that the only yellow fever vaccine licensed in the United States, YF-Vax, is out of stock.
As a result, the CDC has been working with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur to make an alternative vaccine available. Stamaril is the alternate vaccine that can be given until YF-Vax is again available. YF-Vax is not expected to be available until mid-2018.
For the next few months, you may be able to find a clinic that still has YF-Vax, the CDC noted. Find clinics in your area through a map published by the CDC at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellow-fever-vaccination-clinics/search.
If you can't find a clinic that has YF-Vax, the CDC recommends looking for a clinic that is providing the alternative yellow fever vaccine, Stamaril.
The sites that are offering Stamaril are limited. If you need to protect yourself from yellow fever, find a Stamaril clinic near you at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/search-for-stamaril-clinics. The CDC recommends that travelers and health care providers continue to check this website for updates. New vaccine sites will be added as they complete the certification process.
Speak to your pharmacist about how to prepare for safe, healthy travel.
Written By Anyssa Garza, PharmD, BCMAS
