CDC Yellow Book 2008 Now Available

[Posted 7/03/07] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just released the 2008 edition of the book Health Information for International Travel, also known as the Yellow Book. It is published every two years as a reference primarily for healthcare providers who advise international travelers of health risks, although the travel industry, multinational corporations, missionary and volunteer organizations, and families who vacation abroad find it useful as well. It was first published over 25 years ago as small pamphlet with recommendations for the prevention of illnesses such as smallpox. Increased global travel has made this book even more relevant today. It provides up-to-date and comprehensive information on immunization requirements and health recommendations to protect and promote the health of international travelers as well as useful tips for healthy travel.

The Yellow Book is available online at the CDC website, and a hard copy can be purchased from Elsevier Publishing (ISBN# 0323048854).

The 2008 edition contains:

• Updated yellow fever requirements and recommendations:
  • Yellow fever vaccine no longer recommended for Cape Verde Islands
  • Changes in requirements for American Samoa (US), Angola, Burundi, Chad, Costa Rica, Iran, Panama, Peru, Sierra Leone, and Uruguay
• Updated malaria information:
  • Country specific areas of risk and recommendations for prophylaxis
  • Use of the antimalarial Malarone in pediatric populations
• New sections:
  • Responsibilities of Clinicians, Travelers, and the Travel Industry
  • Influenza section now includes information about avian and pandemic influenza
  • Skin Problems in Returned Travelers
  • Deep Vein Thrombosis/Pulmonary Embolism
  • Humanitarian Aid Workers
  • Previously combined section for Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis vaccines and Measles (Rubeola), Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine separated for each disease
• New maps:
  • Prevalence of HIV Infection
  • Tuberculosis Incidence Rate, 2004 and Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis, 2004
  • Internationally Adopted Children Immigrating to the United States, 2005
• Updated maps:
  • Yellow Fever Endemic Zones in the Americas, 2007 – added notations for commonly requested travel destinations in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina
  • Geographic Distribution of Mefloquine-resistant Malaria – areas in South East Asia with resistance to the anti-malaria drug mefloquine updated
  • Geographic distribution updated in Prevalence of Antibody to Hepatitis A Virus, by Country, 2006 and Prevalence of Chronic Infection with Hepatitis B Virus, by Country, 2006
• Vaccine information:
  • Revisions to vaccine recommendations based on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for:
    • Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR) vaccine
    • Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine
    • Hepatitis A and combined hepatitis A and B vaccines
    • Breastfeeding and vaccination information
  • Trade names of the various vaccine combinations included to assist healthcare providers ensuring that children, adolescents, and younger adults are adequately vaccinated

Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Information for International Travel 2008. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 2007.  

Related Links:
CDC Yellow Book

Return to News Summary Page:
Occupational Health News Summaries

 

 

Home | Contact Information | E-mail Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Statement