The International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision for yellow fever has sent 3.5 million doses of the yellow fever vaccine from the group's emergency stockpile to Brazil to combat an ongoing outbreak of the virus.
The ICG is composed of four agencies: the World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Médicines Sans Frontières.
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"The government of Brazil[,] with the support of Pan American Health Organization/WHO[,] is working to ensure protection of its population and preventing further spread of the yellow fever virus which is transmitted to humans via mosquitoes," said the WHO. "Brazil is carrying out vaccination campaigns for yellow fever in several states while strengthening surveillance and case management throughout the country since the outbreak began in January 2017. More than 18.8 million doses of vaccine have been distributed."
As of March 24, Brazil's Ministry of Health has reported 492 confirmed cases of yellow fever involved with an outbreak that began in January. The tally includes 162 confirmed deaths. An additional 1,101 suspected cases under investigation.
Some infectious disease experts in the U.S. suspect the ongoing yellow fever outbreak in Brazil could chart an epidemic course similar to Zika virus, eventually arriving in the U.S.
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