Patricia Valenzuela, president of the Venezuelan Infectology Society, explained that most cases reported in the neighboring country are people who were not vaccinated against yellow fever.
The Colombian government recently declared a Health emergency for an outbreak of yellow fever In the country for the appearance of dozens of cases between 2024 and what goes from 2025. Because of its proximity, the alert could generate concern among Venezuelans, especially those residing in border states.
The Colombian government recently declared a health emergency for an outbreak of yellow fever in the country for the appearance of dozens of cases between 2024 and what goes from 2025. Because of its proximity, the alert could generate concern among Venezuelans, especially those residing in border states.
On Monday, April 21, Gustavo Petro’s government offered some data on the emergency. He stressed that in 2024 there were 79 cases and so far from 2025 56 infections have been detected. Of the total of the infected, 46 % died. The high percentage of lethality is what keeps specialists in that country alert.
Another significant fact is that 84 % of those infected are men, because they are usually carrying out activities in jungle environments where mosquitoes are found Haemagogus y Satasthe main vectors of the yellow fever virus.
One of the measures taken by the Colombian government was a plan to The acquisition of more than 13 million vaccines against yellow feverbecause this is the main preventive strategy before the disease.
Patricia Valenzuela, president of the Venezuelan Society of Infectology (SVI), explained for the newspaper that this type of alerts does not seek to worry the population, but to make a call for attention and the action to take preventive measures.
“when epidemiological alerts are issued, as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) regularly does, it is to make a call for a particular situation, especially in reference to what are infections that can study in shoots and compromise the life of communities,” Valenzuela detailed.
The specialist said that, given the outbreaks that have been registered in several South American countries, the SVI seeks to raise awareness in the population, but also in the doctors who attend in the health system to evaluate the appearance of possible cases of yellow fever.
“There are people who may have symptoms that make up the icterohemorrhagic syndrome or febrile icteric syndrome (yellow skin and mucous membranes with bleeding or fever) and that when they go to consultations, only you think of hepatitis and sometimes it is limited only to that differential diagnosis and what you want is that you have to think about the possibility of being yellow fever, given the current circumstances, given the current circumstances. He added.
What is the situation in Venezuela regarding yellow fever?
In February of this year, PAHO warned that countries like Venezuela and Panama have vaccination coverage against yellow fever less than 80 %, so they ran a risk of epidemiological outbreaks of this disease. The organism’s recommendation is that this coverage is greater than 95 %.
In the country, the yellow fever vaccine in the establishments of the Ministry of Health and the Venezuelan Institute for Social Security (IVSS) is available. Likewise, health authorities can issue the international certificate, a yellow card that is in Spanish and English and is a requirement to travel to some countries.
Venezuela receives these vaccines thanks to the agreement signed with the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) through PAHO, with which the Venezuelan State can acquire these drugs at a lower cost. In November 2024, A cargo of 1.2 million doses arrived in the country For yellow fever.
“The vaccination guidelines in Venezuela are the same as recommended in the world by the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization. It is a dose of the yellow fever vaccine, because several years ago it was decided that with that only dose there is immunity for a lifetime,” Valenzuela detailed.
It is recommended to administer this dose to children when the first year of age is fulfilled. However, Valenzuela explained that in context of epidemiological outbreaks age can be lowered to 9 months. Likewise, the maximum limit for its application is up to 59 years of age, from there it is considered that the person who has immunity even without having received any doses.
The infectologist alleged that although the world pattern is to apply a single dose, each individual case can be evaluated, because there may be people with depressed immune systems in areas of greater exposure to vectors that transmit the disease, so it would be necessary to study if some additional preventive measure should be taken.
What should be taken into account in border states?
Patricia Valenzuela explained that most cases of yellow fever in Colombia were confirmed to the south of that country, so the alert is not directly related to the departments that border with Venezuelan states.
However, the specialist said that the Colombian-Venezuelan border maintains a constant circulation of people daily, so it should not be ruled out to make epidemiological surveillance in border areas.
-“The health authorities have to be pending, request the international certificate for the yellow fever vaccine. This is one of the measures that could be done to know if the person is vaccinated. It is important to know that most of the cases that are quantifying are people who are not vaccinated, so that detail is important,” highlighted.
He said that officials who do migratory controls should be informed about health alert in Colombia and know what are the Colombian municipalities in which there is the greatest presence of the virus.
“It is also necessary to know the origin of people, to verify if they properly come from the municipalities where diagnoses or nearby municipalities have been confirmed,” added.
People who travel through these borders should be evaluated if they have any common symptoms of the disease such as jaundice (skin and yellow mucosa).
Other preventive and surveillance measures
Valenzuela clarified that there are currently no confirmed cases of yellow fever in Venezuela, but measures can also be taken to verify if the virus is circulating in the country.
He stressed that in the jungle areas it must be informed when there are deaths of non -human primates unexpectedly, because it could indicate the presence of the virus in that sector.
“In Venezuela, for example, if there are a number of unexpected deaths of howlers or less Araguatos, this has to be a call for attention because the yellow fever virus must be circulating and there you have to focus on vaccination,” pointed out.
He recommended that another measure that can be taken is to check if in the agricultural communities there is a lot of mosquitoes and review if it is necessary to send the workers to those sectors.
“It is important to check if these workers are vaccinated, check that they have their vaccination cards,” express.
The SVI spokeswoman indicated that if there are adults who do not have a vaccination card or international certificate of the yellow fever vaccine and do not know if they were ever vaccinated, they can go to any ambulatory of the public health system to receive the dose.
He also urged families to verify that each member has the vaccine, especially if they plan to travel outside the country.
“It is important to be informed if you are going to travel outside the country to any of these neighboring countries on the health or health situation of the place where it goes,” mentioned.
The specialist commented that if relevant preventive measures are taken, there is no need to reach an emergency or alarm for the Venezuelan population.
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LOV/ pressCarmen Cecilia Guerra
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