The life-saving yellow fever vaccine does not need a booster dose, experts have concluded.
World Health Organisation advisers have concluded that a single dose of vaccine gives life-long immunity.
About 15,000 people a year die from yellow fever and 200,000 people succumb to it world-wide in spite of major vaccination programmes.
In the last 80 years some 600 million doses of vaccine have been given – and the experts say just 12 cases have been found of people succumbing to the disease in spite of having been vaccinated.
The booster dose is conventionally given after ten years but the advisers say the failures all occurred within five years of vaccination.
Advisory group chair Dr Helen Rees said: "Looking at really very good evidence, it was quite clear to the strategic advisory group that in fact a single dose of yellow fever vaccine is effective.
"This is extremely important for countries where yellow fever is endemic, because it will allow them to reconsider their vaccine scheduling. It is also important for travellers.”
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