The St. Charles County Department of Public Health now offers vaccination for yellow fever as part of its Travel Health Clinic, a program designed to assist residents with health-related plans for domestic or international travel. Due to a limited supply of yellow fever vaccine doses nationwide, the St. Charles clinic is one of few in the region that offer this vaccination.
The clinic began offering yellow fever vaccinations in March, after receiving approval from state regulators, according to Samantha VanNatta, Director of the Department of Public Health’s Health Services Division.
Yellow fever is a potentially serious virus spread by mosquitos in parts of Africa and South America. Severe cases can cause liver, kidney, or other organ failure. Vaccination is recommended for anyone traveling to countries where yellow fever is present, and many countries require proof of vaccination in order to gain entry.
VanNatta explained that yellow fever vaccination was added to the Travel Health Clinic’s offerings in response to requests from St. Charles County residents traveling internationally for humanitarian work or other purposes.
“We have a lot of travelers in St. Charles County, so it was important to us to offer this service that isn’t being offered in many places in the region,” VanNatta says.
The yellow fever vaccine is given as a single shot, with one dose providing lifelong protection for most people.
Vaccinations are by appointment only. Vaccine recipients will be asked to provide several documents and fill out a medical questionnaire. To schedule a vaccination and other Travel Health consultation, call 636-949-1857.
The cost of a yellow fever vaccination and vaccine consultation through the Travel Health Clinic is $267. The clinic is not currently able to accept health insurance payments for the vaccinations, meaning the cost for patients is out-of-pocket.
In addition to recommending any necessary vaccinations, the Travel Health Clinic also can help visitors plan for other potential health risks, medical needs, or travel documents that they may need to consider for their trip.
For more information, go online to sccmo.org/Travel.