Yellow fever vaccine at the airport: what to know

Some destinations ask arriving travellers to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate, particularly when their journey includes a place where yellow fever occurs. Airport clinics may offer travel services, but an airport is not necessarily the right place to start the process. A clinician needs to review your itinerary, previous vaccination record, current medicines, allergies and health conditions. The certificate must contain the correct traveller details, so bring your passport and any earlier immunisation documents.

Rules can depend on transit routes as well as the final destination. A long airport stop may matter to entry requirements, so provide the full journey rather than only the country where you will stay.

Contact the airport clinic or a travel-health service before the day of travel to confirm that vaccination and certificate services are available. Share every stop on your outbound and return journey. If you are offered an appointment, take your passport, booking details and vaccination history. Leave enough time for clinical assessment and for any destination requirement that applies before arrival.

Keep the original certificate with your travel documents and consider a secure copy in case it is lost. Read about Yellow Fever Vaccination to understand the purpose of the vaccine and the questions a travel clinician may cover.

Speak with a clinician before vaccination if you have had a serious reaction to a vaccine, have a weakened immune system, are pregnant, are breastfeeding, or have a complex medical history. Seek urgent medical care after any vaccination for trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, widespread hives, fainting that does not quickly improve, confusion, severe weakness, or new seizure-like activity.

Ask whether your route creates a certificate requirement, whether your previous record remains valid, and whether a medical reason means vaccination should be delayed or avoided. Ask how to protect yourself from mosquito bites during travel as well.