Clinical Update
Announcement: Yellow Fever Vaccine Shortage

The manufacturer of yellow fever vaccine (YF-Vax), Sanofi Pasteur (Swiftwater, PA), has informed CDC that the single-dose vials of YF-Vax are currently out of stock. As a result, the manufacturer has placed ordering limits on the 5-dose vials of YF-Vax to manage the available vaccine supply. Providers may only purchase one 5-dose vial of YF-Vax every 30 days.

According to the manufacturer’s package insert, all YF-Vax must be used within 1 hour of reconstitution (both single-dose and 5-dose vials). Clinics using the 5-dose vials are advised to schedule patients to efficiently use the available vaccine doses within this 1-hour time frame.

Health care providers should refer to the section titled Yellow Fever and Malaria Information, by Country in CDC Health Information for International Travel 2016 (the “Yellow Book”) for information about which countries require yellow fever vaccination for entry and for which countries CDC recommends yellow fever vaccination. In the absence of a country requirement, CDC does not recommend yellow fever vaccination if the traveler’s itinerary does not include travel to a yellow fever–endemic area.

For further information, contact Sanofi Pasteur customer service at 1-800-VACCINE (1-800-822-2463).