Single shot of 17D vaccine may not confer life-long protection against yellow fever

Abstract

The yellow fever (YF) vaccine has been used since the 1930s to prevent YF, which is a severe infectious disease caused by the yellow fever virus (YFV), and mainly transmitted by Culicidae mosquitoes from the genera Aedes and Haemagogus . Until 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the administration of a vaccine dose every ten years. A new recommendation of a single vaccine dose to confer life-long protection against YFV infection has since been established. Recent evidence published elsewhere suggests that at least a second dose is needed to fully protect against YF disease. Here, we discuss the feasibility of administering multiple doses, the necessity for a new and modern vaccine, and recommend that the WHO conveys a meeting to discuss YFV vaccination strategies for people living in or travelling to endemic areas.