South African clinics have been advising travelers to Zambia to get yellow fever travel vaccinations, in spite of the fact that Zambia is not on the official government list of destinations that require yellow fever vaccines.
This has inadvertently created a nationwide yellow fever vaccine shortage in South Africa, with vaccine producer Sanofi-Aventis being caught off-guard by the surge in demand. The company has been racing to catch up and keep clinics in the country supplied. However, the new orders are not expected to arrive in South Africa until August 12. According to the company, the typical number of vaccines in South Africa each month is in the range of 6,000 to 7,000 shots, but last month that demand tripled. The shortage is forcing some travelers to postpone their trips, as many airlines will not carry passengers to high risk areas without proof of vaccination.
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