How can we solve the shortage of yellow fever vaccines?
This article is published in collaboration with Quartz Africa. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.
Until the early 20th century large epidemics of yellow fever erupted routinely in Africa, Europe and the Americas, killing hundreds of thousands. The viral disease, spread by a mosquito, is fatal in about 20% cases—making it a serious threat for about 900 million people living in the 45 countries where the virus is present. While yellow fever cannot be eliminated from the wild and there is no cure for it, immunizing at least 70% of the population in at-risk areas effectively eliminates the risk of outbreaks, a goal that had been reached in the decades following the introduction of the vaccine in the 1930s.
Author: Annalisa Merelli is an ideas reporter at Quartz.
Image: Vaccines are placed on a tray. REUTERS/Nicky Loh.
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