Nagpur: Travellers from Vidarbha heading to African and South American countries no longer need to travel to Mumbai for the mandatory yellow fever vaccine. Between April 2024 and March 2025, as many as 667 travellers were administered the yellow fever vaccine at Daga Govt Women’s Hospital, indicating the growing local demand and utility of this service.Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory under international visa regulations for Indian nationals travelling to Kenya and parts of south America to prevent the viral infection. Until a few years ago, the vaccine was only available at govt centres in Mumbai and Pune. Although one private hospital in Nagpur is authorised to administer it, issues such as vaccine shortages and high costs ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 have led many travellers to prefer Mumbai, despite the inconvenience and expense.To ease this burden, the govt set up a yellow fever vaccination centre at Daga Hospital in 2022. Initially, the centre operated irregularly, calling doctors on demand. Now, with a regular general physician in place, vaccinations are administered every Friday.The demand rises in summer when many travellers go to African countries for tourism, prompting the hospital to keep additional vaccine stocks ready. If demand spikes further, then vaccinations are also arranged on other days apart from Fridays.“The vaccination facility at Daga Hospital has benefited hundreds of travellers and reduced their travel costs and hassles,” said Dr Dilip Madavi, medical superintendent, Daga Hospital.Yellow fever is a serious viral disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes, causing symptoms ranging from fever and muscle pain to severe liver damage and bleeding. It can be life-threatening, especially in areas where the disease is common, like parts of Africa and south America. Because there’s no specific treatment for yellow fever, vaccination is the most effective way to prevent infection, and many countries make it mandatory for travellers arriving from or going to affected regions to stop the spread of the virus.
