OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS

BETHESDA MEDICAL BLDG.
8218 WISCONSIN AVE
SUITE 212
BETHESDA, MD 20814
Tel :301.664.6477
Fax:301.718.8626

The Clinic was previously located on Old Georgetown Rd. in Rockville Maryland

Where in the world
   are you going?

Asia... Latin America...
Near East... Eastern Europe...
The Middle East... Africa

 

ALL INFORMATION & IMMUNIZATIONS
ARE GIVEN BY THE
PHYSICIAN ONLY

IMPORTANT
Certain vaccinations are officially required for entry into certain countries. Be certain to receive them in advance.

Consultations > Immunizations > YELLOW FEVER

How Vaccines Work

Your body has an immune system. It's made up of many cells and organs. This system helps fight infections.

Here's how it works: A disease-causing germ enters your body. Your immune system helps fight it. But the germ has a head start.
It grows fast. Sometimes your immune system can't act fast enough to stop the germ. When that happens, you get sick.

But once you've had an infection, your immune system "knows" the germ that caused it. If the germ tries to enter your body again,
your immune system acts faster. It defends you. This defense can last for years. That's why people get some infections (like chikenpox)
just once.

Vaccines help your body to be prepared for disease. Vaccines trigger your immune system to make antibodies to fight specific germs.
So, if a germ enters your body, you can fight it.

Sometimes a vaccine's protection can wear off. That's why you need booster shots for some vaccines.

Immunizations

One mistake the traveler should not make is to rely solely on the information obtained from the embassy. Often, embassies only recommend the legally required vaccinations and unknowingly omit the other medically important immunizations and general health advise

·         Required immunizations:
Yellow fever, and meningitis vaccines are the only vaccines that may be officially required for entry into certain countries.

Yellow fever vaccine is only administered at designated yellow fever centers such as the International Travelers’s  Clinic. After immunization, an International Certificate of Vaccination is issued and is valid 10 days after vaccination. You must take the certificate with you.

·         Recommended immunizations:
The recommended immunizations depend not only on your previous immunizations but also on your travel itinerary. After reviewing your medical history, past immunizations, and the list of the countries you will be visiting, Dr. Bahar may recommend some of the vaccinations listed below:

YELLOW FEVER

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Is a viral infection transmitted by the Aedes and jungle mosquitoes. It is endemic only in Africa and South America, but NOT Asia. The yellow fever virus was discovered by Dr. Walter Reed in 1900. The disease is so named because jaundice, the result of liver damage, is a common sign of the illness. Most yellow fever infections are mild and so unrecognized, but severe life-threatening illness occurs in about 15% of patients with very high mortality rates (50% of severe cases) A live virus vaccine is available and highly effective and safe and should be given to all adults living in or traveling to endemic areas. A booster shot is needed every 10 years. This vaccination should be recorded on the "International Certificate of Vaccination” by a certified yellow fever vaccination center. Under international health regulations, countries may require proof of yellow fever vaccination as a condition of entry.