Yellow fever vaccine: an updated assessment of advanced age as a risk factor for serious adverse events.
Since 1996, the scientific community has become aware of 14 reports of yellow fever vaccine (YEL)-associated viscerotropic disease (YEL-AVD) cases and four reports of YEL-associated neurotropic disease (YEL-AND) worldwide, changing our understanding of the risks of the vaccine. Based on 722 adverse event reports after YEL submitted to the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System in 1990-2002, we updated the estimates of the age-adjusted reporting rates of serious adverse events, YEL-AVD and YEL-AND. We found that the reporting rates of serious adverse events were significantly higher among vaccinees aged > or =60 years than among those 19-29 years of age (reporting rate ratio = 5.9, 95% CI 1.6-22.2). Yellow fever is a serious and potentially fatal disease. For elderly travelers, the risk for severe illness and death due to yellow fever infection should be balanced against the risk of a serious adverse event due to YEL.
Khromava
Alena Y
AY
Epidemic Intelligence Service, Epidemiology Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Eidex
Rachel Barwick
RB
Weld
Leisa H
LH
Kohl
Katrin S
KS
Bradshaw
Robert D
RD
Chen
Robert T
RT
Cetron
Martin S
MS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D014195:Travel; D014436:Typhoid-Paratyphoid Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D022341:Yellow Fever Vaccine / Q000009:adverse effects*
D022362:Hepatitis A Vaccines; D014436:Typhoid-Paratyphoid Vaccines; D022341:Yellow Fever Vaccine