Health care providers will need to use an alternative to the yellow fever vaccine YF-Vax until mid-2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Travelers may need yellow fever vaccine if they are going to Africa, Central America or South America. However, Sanofi Pasteur is transitioning to a new facility, resulting in YF-Vax temporarily going out of stock.
There are no other yellow fever vaccines licensed in the U.S., but the Food and Drug Administration will allow Sanofi Pasteur’s Stamaril to be used under its investigational new drug program. The vaccine, manufactured in France, has been distributed in more than 70 countries for decades and is “comparable in safety and efficacy to YF-Vax,” according to the CDC.
Stamaril will be available in a limited number of clinics and some clinics may still have YF-Vax available. To find either vaccine, visit https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellow-fever-vaccination-clinics/search. For more information, contact Sanofi Pasteur at 1-800-VACCINE.
