Yellow Fever Vaccine: Information for Health Care Professionals Advising Travelers

The goal of this course is to provide physicians, physician assistants, pharmacists, nurses, and health education specialists with information about yellow fever: the virus, the disease, and the vaccine. Healthcare professionals can use this information to:

  1. Make appropriate decisions regarding administering the yellow fever vaccine
  2. Handle the vaccine safely
  3. Offer sound advice to travelers before they travel to countries where yellow fever is endemic or where outbreaks are occurring
  4. Conduct appropriate pre-travel consulations
  5. Use best practices within yellow fever vaccination clinics
  6. Comply with International Health Regulations and International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) requirements for yellow fever vaccines

Course Description

The training, Yellow Fever Vaccine: Information for Health Care Professionals Advising Travelers, provides a comprehensive history and epidemiology of yellow fever, including:

  • Vaccine recommendations
  • The pre-travel consultation for yellow fever
  • Information on how to become a designated yellow fever vaccination professional

No prior knowledge of the yellow fever virus or vaccine is needed to take this training. However, it is advised that those taking the course also review the Yellow Fever Vaccine & Malaria Prevention Information, by Country, and Yellow Fever chapters in the CDC Yellow Book: Health Information for International Travel. It is also strongly recommended that the modules be taken in sequence.

This course is intended for healthcare professionals who advise travelers and/or would like to become designated providers of yellow fever vaccine. These may include:

  • physicians
  • registered nurses
  • pharmacists
  • physician assistants
  • nurse practitioners
  • health educators
  • medical students
  • medical assistants
  • licensed practical nurses
  • epidemiologists
  • pharmacy technicians

The course consists of two modules. 

Module 1, Yellow Fever: History, Epidemiology, and Vaccine Information, provides a history of yellow fever, critical information needed to understand the epidemiology of yellow fever disease, as well as important facts about the vaccine. This module includes nine Knowledge Check questions and, at the end, two Test Your Knowledge case examples to help reinforce understanding of the material.

Module 2, The Pre-travel Consultation and Best Practices for Yellow Fever Vaccine Providers and Clinics, provides pretravel consultation advice for health care professionals regarding yellow fever vaccination, as well as recommendations for best practices for yellow fever vaccination clinics. This module includes ten Knowledge Check questions to help reinforce understanding of the material.

Learning Objectives

After completing this web-based course, the learner should be able to:

  1. Identify how the yellow fever virus is transmitted and its three transmission cycles.
  2. Identify precautions and contraindications to consider for administering the yellow fever vaccine.
  3. Describe the information needed to conduct a pre-travel consultation with regard to yellow fever vaccination.
  4. Identify the process for becoming and maintaining designated yellow fever provider status.
  5. Describe how to locate country-specific entry requirements for yellow fever vaccination.

Take the Course

The course is available on CDC TRAIN and consists of two modules. It can be taken at any time. Please read the instructions in CDC TRAIN for completing each of the two modules, the posttest, evaluation and printing a certificate of completion.

To take the course:

  1. Select the Register button. You will be prompted to log in or create an account on CDC TRAIN.
  2. In the Content tab select the modules to register and view the course.
  3. Once completed, select the Mark Complete button for the lessons and also then for the overall course.

As of 9/7/2023, continuing education credits are no longer offered for this course.