Within the framework of the International Health Regulations (IHR) relating to the fight against Yellow Fever and in accordance with new recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda, in a communique signed on November 3, 2014 has stressed that “a single dose of vaccine against Yellow Fever provides immunity and a lifetime protection against the disease. Therefore, no second more doses are necessary or obligatory.”

The announcement is coming from the Minister of Public Health a year after WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts concluded that a single dose of Yellow Fever vaccine is sufficient to confer sustained immunity and lifelong protection against the Yellow Fever disease and that a booster dose of the vaccine is not needed.

Before now, WHO recommended that people be given a booster dose of the Yellow Fever vaccine every 10 years if that person is still at risk of infection; that is living or travelling to a Yellow-Fever endemic zone. André Mama Fouda’s announcement seem timely especially to those travelling out of the country or coming into country given that there has always been controversy between airport health workers and travellers on a Yellow Fever booster dose.

Eyewitnesses recount that while leaving or entering into the country through any of the airports, passengers with an International Certificate of Vaccination (yellow card) that dates more than 10 years back have had hard times with health workers in these airports who refused them entry unless they renew their Yellow Fever vaccine by receiving one on-the-spot at a given sum.

Yvette Helene B, an inhabitant in Yaounde explained how she has had to spend over 30 minutes arguing with airport health officials who obliged her to renew her yellow card although she told them of clinical updates on Yellow Fever vaccine booster from W.H.O. The Director of Family Health at the Ministry of Public Health, Professor Robinson Mbu says many health workers are not informed about W.H.O’s decision on the Yellow Fever booster dose.

The Minister’s announcement has come to end any argument surrounding yellow fever booster in the country. However, the Director of Disease Control at the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Georges Etoundi Mballa underlines that those who do not present a yellow card at any entry point into the country will be given the Yellow Fever vaccine again because saying verbally that you have received the Yellow Fever vaccine is not proof without a vaccination card. According to Dr Etoundi Mballa, receiving the vaccine more than one time poses no health complication.