Travel Clinic
Yellow Fever Vaccination and Certificates
Vaccination and the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, required for entry to a number of countries.
- Dose
- Single dose for most people
- Certificate
- Valid for life
- Age
- From 9 months of age
- Timing
- Valid 10 days after vaccination
About this service
Berkeley Pharmacy is a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre (Reg. no. UKYFVC9726). Yellow fever vaccination is a specialist travel service because the vaccine can only be given at a Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre registered with the National Travel Health Network and Centre. At Berkeley Pharmacy, we begin by checking your full itinerary, including every country and transit, then review whether vaccination and an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis are appropriate for you.
Some countries require a certificate for entry, while others require proof from travellers arriving from a country with a risk of transmission, including people who have only transited through one. We welcome travellers from Berkeley, Dursley, Cam, Stroud and Thornbury. Please book at least 10 days before you travel, as the certificate becomes valid 10 days after vaccination.
What yellow fever is and why the certificate matters
Yellow fever is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes that bite during the day, found in tropical parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South America. It can cause fever, jaundice, bleeding and organ failure, and there is no specific treatment. Daytime mosquito bite avoidance remains important even after vaccination.
A single dose gives lifelong protection for most people, and the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis is valid for life, becoming valid ten days after vaccination. Because this is a live vaccine, extra care is needed for people aged 60 and over having it for the first time, for those with a weakened immune system, for anyone who has had their thymus removed or has a thymus disorder, and in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Where the vaccine is not suitable, a medical exemption letter can be considered.
Who yellow fever vaccination and certificates are for
Suitable for
- Travellers to yellow fever risk areas in sub-Saharan Africa and South America
- Anyone travelling to a country that requires a certificate for entry
- Travellers transiting through a risk country on the way to a country that requires proof
- Long-stay travellers, volunteers and workers in risk areas
- Anyone who has lost a previous certificate and needs a replacement record
Not suitable for
- Babies under nine months
- People with a weakened immune system, including from illness or from medicines that suppress the immune system
- Anyone who has had their thymus removed or has a thymus disorder
- Anyone with a previous severe allergic reaction to the vaccine or to egg
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding, other than in exceptional circumstances after a careful risk discussion
- First-time vaccination at 60 and over without an extra-cautious full assessment
How it works
A simple, consistent process for every service at Berkeley Pharmacy.
Get in touch
Call us or use our contact form to arrange a consultation.
Consultation
A private, face-to-face appointment with our pharmacist in our Berkeley consultation room.
Clinical assessment
We review your medical history and confirm whether the service is suitable for you.
Treatment or referral
If it is suitable we treat you the same day; if not, we explain why and advise on the best next step.
What to expect at your appointment
We carry out a full travel health risk assessment, including checking the entry requirements for every country on your itinerary and any transits. Requirements can depend on where you have come from as well as where you are going, so bring your complete travel plans if possible.
We carefully review your medical history because yellow fever vaccination is a live vaccine. If it is suitable, we give the injection into your upper arm, issue your International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, and ask you to wait for a short time afterwards. If vaccination is not suitable, we can discuss whether a medical exemption letter should be considered.
Please book at least 10 days before you travel, as the certificate becomes valid 10 days after vaccination.
- A written vaccination record and, with your consent, a note to your GP
- Clear advice about the ten-day period before your certificate becomes valid
- Guidance on keeping your certificate safe for the whole journey
Aftercare, certificates and mosquito protection
A sore arm, headache, muscle aches and a mild fever are common in the first few days and settle on their own. Seek medical advice quickly if you feel significantly unwell in the days after vaccination, particularly if symptoms are severe or worsening.
Your certificate becomes valid ten days after vaccination, so plan your travel dates around this. Keep the certificate with your passport and photograph it as a backup, because you may be asked for it at borders. Continue with daytime mosquito bite avoidance, as the same mosquitoes carry dengue, Zika and chikungunya.
- Check that your name and travel details on the certificate are correct before you leave
- Keep the original certificate safe and carry it with your passport when required
- Use repellent, clothing and accommodation screens to reduce daytime mosquito bites
Frequently asked questions
Which countries require a yellow fever certificate?
The countries that require a certificate can change and may depend on where you have travelled or transited before arrival. We check the entry requirements for every country on your itinerary, including transits, during your travel health risk assessment.
How long before travel do I need the yellow fever vaccine?
The International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis becomes valid ten days after vaccination. You should plan to have the vaccine at least ten days before you need to show the certificate at a border, allowing extra time for your travel plans.
How long is the yellow fever certificate valid?
The International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis is valid for life. A single dose gives lifelong protection for most people, although we still assess your individual medical history and travel plans before vaccination.
Do I need it if I am only transiting through a risk country?
Possibly. Some countries require proof from travellers who have only transited through a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission. We check every transit on your itinerary rather than looking only at your final destination.
Who cannot have the yellow fever vaccine?
It may not be suitable for babies under nine months, people with a weakened immune system, anyone who has had their thymus removed or has a thymus disorder, anyone with a previous severe allergic reaction to the vaccine or egg, and in pregnancy or breastfeeding except in exceptional circumstances. First-time vaccination at 60 and over needs extra caution and a full assessment.
Can I get an exemption letter if the vaccine is not suitable for me?
Where vaccination is not suitable, a medical exemption letter can be considered after a careful assessment. An exemption may not be accepted by every country, so we will explain the travel and entry implications and recommend checking with the relevant authorities.
How we can supply treatment without a GP appointment
Some treatments at Berkeley Pharmacy are supplied under a Patient Group Direction, or PGD – a written instruction, signed by a doctor and a pharmacist, that legally allows our trained pharmacists to supply and administer specified medicines to people who meet defined clinical criteria, without a prescription from your GP. If you do not meet the criteria set out in the PGD we cannot supply the treatment, and we will explain why and advise you on the best next step. Our pharmacists also work as independent prescribers where that is appropriate.
Serving Berkeley and the surrounding Gloucestershire villages
Berkeley Pharmacy is on Market Place in the centre of Berkeley, with easy access from junctions 13 and 14 of the M5. We welcome patients from Berkeley, Sharpness, Newport, Berkeley Heath, Alkington, Ham, Stone and Rockhampton, and we are a short drive from Cam, Dursley, Slimbridge, Cambridge, Falfield, Charfield, Tortworth, Cromhall, Oldbury-on-Severn, Wotton-under-Edge, Thornbury, Frampton on Severn and Stonehouse. Patients also travel to us from Stroud, Nailsworth, Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Tetbury and Gloucester.
Safe, regulated care from your local pharmacy team
- Berkeley Pharmacy is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. You can check any pharmacy or pharmacist on the GPhC register at pharmacyregulation.org.
- Every consultation is face to face and private, in our dedicated consultation room – not an online questionnaire.
- Serving the Berkeley community for over 25 years.
- This service does not replace care from your GP. With your consent we will inform your GP of any treatment provided. If you are unwell, have new or worsening symptoms, or need urgent care, contact your GP or NHS 111, and in an emergency call 999.
- If you experience a side effect from any medicine you can report it through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk.
Page last reviewed: September 2026. Next review due: September 2027.
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Find out more Travel ClinicMalaria Prevention
A destination-specific malaria risk assessment, bite prevention advice and, where suitable, preventative tablets before you go.
Find out more Travel ClinicHepatitis A Vaccination
One of the most commonly recommended travel vaccinations, and one of the easiest to arrange before you go.
Find out moreSpeak to our pharmacy team about yellow fever vaccination
Visit us in Berkeley or get in touch to arrange a private consultation with our pharmacist.
Book a consultation Call 01453 810316
Address
14 Market Place, Berkeley, GL13 9BB
Opening hours
Mon–Fri 9am–6pm (closed 1–2pm)
Sat 9am–1pm
Sun Closed