Yellow fever for seafarers: what to know

A voyage can involve embarkation in one country, calls in several others and a change of vessel or flight home. The relevant itinerary is therefore broader than the final destination. Requirements can also depend on where the vessel has been, not only where a crew member plans to go ashore.

Yellow fever is spread by infected mosquitoes. Work on deck, time ashore and overnight stays near a port can affect mosquito exposure, so preventive measures deserve the same attention as paperwork.

Give a travel-health clinician the known route, expected port calls, recent travel and your medical history. If your itinerary changes, check whether the change affects your yellow fever plan. Keep any vaccination certificate with your seaman's documents and passport, rather than leaving it only with personal luggage.

Pack an appropriate mosquito repellent and use clothing and accommodation measures that limit bites. Read Yellow Fever Vaccination for an overview to discuss with the clinician who assesses your travel needs.

Get urgent medical help for fever after travel or port exposure, particularly if it comes with severe headache, persistent vomiting, pronounced weakness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, bleeding, confusion or breathing difficulty. Inform the medical team about countries and ports visited, including recent stops that seemed routine.

Ask which parts of the proposed route matter for vaccination documentation, whether a change in ports would alter the advice, and how to manage mosquito protection while working shifts. Discuss any past vaccine reaction or condition that could affect the decision.