There are many illnesses that are regional in nature and Australia is lucky in that respect, as being isolated has largely insulated the population from a lot of dangerous strains. Yellow fever is one of the nastiest of those types of regional diseases and although it is not common in Europe or Asia, you are liable to come into contact with it in South America or Africa. So why is it so bad that it requires vaccination? Here is a brief rundown on why you should do everything you can to avoid yellow fever.

Slow Start

Yellow fever is so frustrating to try and treat because it can take over a week for it to fully start displaying symptoms in your body. All of that time that could be used to try and treat the symptoms in their infancy is generally wasted because no one knows they have the disease. Even once it does start to take hold, it doesn't seem that out of the ordinary, as it often starts with nausea and fevers, along with other traditional symptoms that could indicate any number of illnesses. It is only when the disease progresses to its final stage that it becomes very obvious what you have, and by then it can be too late to do much of anything.

Extremely Dangerous Final Stage

Although not everyone who gets yellow fever will see it progress to the final stage (it is also known as stage two or the toxic stage), those who do have a very high rate of mortality. That is because your internal organs, particularly your kidney and liver, simply shut down and you can start haemorrhaging blood. Your skin will also turn a sickly yellow colour, which is where the name comes from. There is no treatment once the disease gets to this stage, which is why yellow fever vaccination is absolutely essential to keep yourself safe.

Don't Risk It

Another reason why yellow fever vaccination is crucial is that the disease is not spread through food, water or from human-to-human contact, all of which you could minimise when travelling. Instead, it is mostly spread through mosquitos, which are incredibly hard to keep away even if you are hyper-vigilant about them. Considering the potential negatives, especially if you already have underlying health issues, there is never an excuse to avoid your yellow fever shots before you hit the road on your next adventure. 

Reach out to a professional for a yellow fever vaccination.