Carte Jaune
Encyclopedia
The Yellow Card or Carte Jaune, is an international certificate of vaccination (ICV). It is issued by the World Health Organisation. It is recognised internationally and may be required for entry to certain countries where there are increased health risks for travellers. The Yellow Card should be kept in the holder's passport
as it is a medical passport of sorts.
Note that the example shown here is the American version of the WHO-ICV, issued by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is available through the Government Printing Office. The original ICV printed and distributed by WHO is found in two versions: 1) English - French (bilingual) or 2) English - French - Arabic (trilingual). These WHO versions do not have pages to show medical contraindication to vaccination, personal health history, state of health, medical treatments, known sensitivities, medications taken regularly, and ophthalmic information. The WHO versions are available from the WHO Bookstore, and they can be ordered in quantities of 5,000 or more, for overprint. The Yellow Fever
section is the most important part of the certificate. Other variants of the Yellow Fever certificate are valid only if the card has been followed the standardized format, and has been officially approved by WHO.
There has been a revision in the format, title and the rules on the 2007 issue. It is now called, "International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis".
1440 El.U." instead of "Havrix" alone), since the brand name may vary in different parts of the world. It will also help if this is accompanied with the lot number, since the number and the signature together will improve the authenticity of the certificate, as well as reporting when unexpected accidents or illnesses happen. If the physician is willing to put his/her practice address and telephone information, it is common sense that the address also include the country name, and the phone number starting with the country code. The physician must understand that the card is used internationally and not many people outside of a country would know the American or other state names, country codes, and accreditations.
Additionally, for those medical professionals from countries not used to sign and indicate their own name, but only clarify the institute name and a chop, it is advisable that recipients (patients) to request a signature and name on the certificate, as this may alter the relevance of it.
The International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV) was revised in 2007 and approved by http://WHO.int to include not just the vaccination card but also the additional sections listed in this article. If your physician does not have a supply of the International Certificate of Vaccination, they may be ordered directly from the Government Printing Office at http://bookstore.gpo.gov/collections/vaccination.jsp or you might conduct a search on form "CDC 731" to find other vendors.
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm or other national or international health websites for current requirements. One must be aware that not all vaccines for preventable diseases are listed as recommendations, due to the approval status in that country the information originates (i.e. Cholera (inactivated oral vaccine) in the United States of America). It is certainly wise for one to research information from other countries of the languages one understands, and that the information derives from reliable authorities and scientific/medical evidence and statistics.
. In countries where it is not required for entry, it may be a good idea to get the vaccination if travelling to endemic zones. After the primary immunisation, boosters are required in ten-year intervals. One must receive this vaccination at least ten days prior to travel.
For some countries, the cholera
vaccine may be required despite the fact that the World Health Organisation does not state this in their regulations. To avoid being quarantined or denied entry, check the entry requirements for the country by contacting the embassy or consulate, especially if there is a current cholera outbreak. Because it is not a universally required vaccination, one may need a separate cholera certificate or a physician's signed statement saying that the vaccine is contraindicated for certain health conditions.
On the Yellow Card, the International Certificate of Vaccination or Revaccination Against Yellow Fever (Certicat International de Vaccination ou de Revaccination Contre la Fièvre Jaune) is located on the first two pages (in the original WHO version, 3rd and 4th pages) inside of the card. The certificate requires the date of vaccination, the signature and professional status of the vaccinator (signature et titre du vaccinateur), the manufacturer and batch number of the vaccine (fabricant du vaccin et numéro du lot), and the official stamp of the vaccinating centre (cachet officiel du centre vaccination). In order for the certificate to be valid, the vaccination centre must be approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Travellers will most likely need to receive boosters of these, as many people in North America do not regularly update their shots and may be susceptible to these diseases, particularly measles, polio and pertussis http://www.thetraveldoctor.com/immunizations.html.
For these additional vaccinations, there is another page in the Yellow Card that is located on the inside of the book under the traveller's information. Required information for these vaccinations includes the date of vaccination, the vaccine
/prophylactic drug (vaccin/médicament prophylactique), the dosage, and the physician's signature (signature du médecin). Immediately below this table is a form for medical contraindications to vaccinations (contre-indictation médicale à la vaccination). This form must include the reason why the person is medically contraindicated
for a particular vaccine.
In addition to these, it is recommended that travellers receive medication for traveller's diarrhoea
because of the risk of water-borne pathogens. For those travelling to endemic areas
, malaria
chemoprophylaxis
are recommended; both of these can be prescribed by a physician or nurse practitioner.
For people who have allergic reactions to things like eggs and latex
, it is very important to fill out the last section.
and digoxin (digitalis)
, the section of medications taken regularly (médicaments pris régulièrement) may be required to bring said medications into foreign countries. There are five required sections of this table:
in case damage occurs to them. Just as on normal eye prescriptions, there should be information about each eye (ocular dexter/oculaire droit, ocular sinister/oculaire gauche) along with information about the sphere (sphère), cylinder (cylindre), axis (axe), prism (prisme) and base. Any comments and additions to this prescription should be noted, as should information regarding astigmatism
(standard axis notation/selon schéma)
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
as it is a medical passport of sorts.
Note that the example shown here is the American version of the WHO-ICV, issued by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is available through the Government Printing Office. The original ICV printed and distributed by WHO is found in two versions: 1) English - French (bilingual) or 2) English - French - Arabic (trilingual). These WHO versions do not have pages to show medical contraindication to vaccination, personal health history, state of health, medical treatments, known sensitivities, medications taken regularly, and ophthalmic information. The WHO versions are available from the WHO Bookstore, and they can be ordered in quantities of 5,000 or more, for overprint. The Yellow Fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
section is the most important part of the certificate. Other variants of the Yellow Fever certificate are valid only if the card has been followed the standardized format, and has been officially approved by WHO.
There has been a revision in the format, title and the rules on the 2007 issue. It is now called, "International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis".
Filling out the card
The vaccine certificate has columns to fill out with dates, nature of vaccine, dose, and physician's signatures. The date must be in the order of DD/MM/YYYY. It is common to see the physician complete the certificate using product name alone, and not indicate the "nature" of the vaccine. In order to make the certificate "international", it is strongly advised that the physician also mentions this (i.e. "HavrixAdditionally, for those medical professionals from countries not used to sign and indicate their own name, but only clarify the institute name and a chop, it is advisable that recipients (patients) to request a signature and name on the certificate, as this may alter the relevance of it.
The International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV) was revised in 2007 and approved by http://WHO.int to include not just the vaccination card but also the additional sections listed in this article. If your physician does not have a supply of the International Certificate of Vaccination, they may be ordered directly from the Government Printing Office at http://bookstore.gpo.gov/collections/vaccination.jsp or you might conduct a search on form "CDC 731" to find other vendors.
Availability of vaccinations
A typical doctor's office will not keep travel vaccinations in stock, so it is best to talk to your primary care physician about where to receive travel medications. For travel to developing countries, many vaccinations may be required, and it is best to refer to either the World Health Organisation (WHO) http://www.who.int/wer/en/, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm or other national or international health websites for current requirements. One must be aware that not all vaccines for preventable diseases are listed as recommendations, due to the approval status in that country the information originates (i.e. Cholera (inactivated oral vaccine) in the United States of America). It is certainly wise for one to research information from other countries of the languages one understands, and that the information derives from reliable authorities and scientific/medical evidence and statistics.
Mandatory
Currently, the only universally required vaccination is yellow feverYellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
. In countries where it is not required for entry, it may be a good idea to get the vaccination if travelling to endemic zones. After the primary immunisation, boosters are required in ten-year intervals. One must receive this vaccination at least ten days prior to travel.
For some countries, the cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
vaccine may be required despite the fact that the World Health Organisation does not state this in their regulations. To avoid being quarantined or denied entry, check the entry requirements for the country by contacting the embassy or consulate, especially if there is a current cholera outbreak. Because it is not a universally required vaccination, one may need a separate cholera certificate or a physician's signed statement saying that the vaccine is contraindicated for certain health conditions.
On the Yellow Card, the International Certificate of Vaccination or Revaccination Against Yellow Fever (Certicat International de Vaccination ou de Revaccination Contre la Fièvre Jaune) is located on the first two pages (in the original WHO version, 3rd and 4th pages) inside of the card. The certificate requires the date of vaccination, the signature and professional status of the vaccinator (signature et titre du vaccinateur), the manufacturer and batch number of the vaccine (fabricant du vaccin et numéro du lot), and the official stamp of the vaccinating centre (cachet officiel du centre vaccination). In order for the certificate to be valid, the vaccination centre must be approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Routine
Citizens of developed countries have most likely received their initial doses of the following:- tetanusTetanusTetanus is a medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani...
and diphtheriaDiphtheriaDiphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity...
(Td) - pertussisPertussisPertussis, also known as whooping cough , is a highly contagious bacterial disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. Symptoms are initially mild, and then develop into severe coughing fits, which produce the namesake high-pitched "whoop" sound in infected babies and children when they inhale air...
(whooping cough) - measles, mumps and rubellaMMR vaccineThe MMR vaccine is an immunization shot against measles, mumps, and rubella . It was first developed by Maurice Hilleman while at Merck in the late 1960s....
(MMR) - polio
Travellers will most likely need to receive boosters of these, as many people in North America do not regularly update their shots and may be susceptible to these diseases, particularly measles, polio and pertussis http://www.thetraveldoctor.com/immunizations.html.
For these additional vaccinations, there is another page in the Yellow Card that is located on the inside of the book under the traveller's information. Required information for these vaccinations includes the date of vaccination, the vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
/prophylactic drug (vaccin/médicament prophylactique), the dosage, and the physician's signature (signature du médecin). Immediately below this table is a form for medical contraindications to vaccinations (contre-indictation médicale à la vaccination). This form must include the reason why the person is medically contraindicated
Contraindication
In medicine, a contraindication is a condition or factor that serves as a reason to withhold a certain medical treatment.Some contraindications are absolute, meaning that there are no reasonable circumstances for undertaking a course of action...
for a particular vaccine.
Others
Although the following are not required for entry to any country, they may be recommended dependent on destination, purpose of travel, duration of travel, or level of anticipated contact with locals.- meningococcal meningitisMeningococcemiaMeningococcal disease describes infections caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis . It carries a high mortality rate if untreated. While best known as a cause of meningitis, widespread blood infection is more damaging and dangerous...
- Japanese encephalitisJapanese EncephalitisJapanese encephalitis —previously known as Japanese B encephalitis to distinguish it from von Economo's A encephalitis—is a disease caused by the mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus. The Japanese encephalitis virus is a virus from the family Flaviviridae. Domestic pigs and wild birds are...
- hepatitis B
- typhoidTyphoid feverTyphoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
- choleraCholeraCholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
(oral, inactivated) - tick-borne encephalitis
In addition to these, it is recommended that travellers receive medication for traveller's diarrhoea
Traveler's diarrhea
Traveler's diarrhea , is the most common illness affecting travelers. An estimated 10 million people—20% to 50% of international travelers—develop it annually. TD is defined as three or more unformed stools in 24 hours passed by a traveler, commonly accompanied by abdominal cramps, nausea, and...
because of the risk of water-borne pathogens. For those travelling to endemic areas
Endemic (epidemiology)
In epidemiology, an infection is said to be endemic in a population when that infection is maintained in the population without the need for external inputs. For example, chickenpox is endemic in the UK, but malaria is not...
, malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
chemoprophylaxis
Chemoprophylaxis
Chemoprophylaxis refers to the administration of a medication for the purpose of preventing disease or infection. Antibiotics, for example, may be administered to patients with disorders of immune system function to prevent bacterial infections...
are recommended; both of these can be prescribed by a physician or nurse practitioner.
Personal health history
The centre of the card has a very important section about the health of the traveller. Although not mandatory to fill out, in case of emergency, it may be helpful for the physician who will treat the traveller. The information in this includes:- Name and sex of the traveller
- Date of birth
- Name, address and phone number of a person to notify in case of emergency
- Blood group and Rh type
- Name and address of physician (nom et addresse du médecin)
- State of health, medical treatments or known sensitivities
For people who have allergic reactions to things like eggs and latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
, it is very important to fill out the last section.
Medications taken regularly
For those who take regular medications such as insulinInsulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
and digoxin (digitalis)
Digoxin
Digoxin INN , also known as digitalis, is a purified cardiac glycoside and extracted from the foxglove plant, Digitalis lanata. Its corresponding aglycone is digoxigenin, and its acetyl derivative is acetyldigoxin...
, the section of medications taken regularly (médicaments pris régulièrement) may be required to bring said medications into foreign countries. There are five required sections of this table:
- health problem (problème de santé)
- generic and trade names of medication (noms génériques et commerciaux du médicament)
- medication dosage (dosage du médicament)
- physician's remarks (remarques du médecin)
- physician's signature (signature du médecin)
Ophthalmic information
People who wear glasses should have their ophthalmologist fill out the section for prescription glassesGlasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses , spectacles or simply specs , are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or...
in case damage occurs to them. Just as on normal eye prescriptions, there should be information about each eye (ocular dexter/oculaire droit, ocular sinister/oculaire gauche) along with information about the sphere (sphère), cylinder (cylindre), axis (axe), prism (prisme) and base. Any comments and additions to this prescription should be noted, as should information regarding astigmatism
Astigmatism
An optical system with astigmatism is one where rays that propagate in two perpendicular planes have different foci. If an optical system with astigmatism is used to form an image of a cross, the vertical and horizontal lines will be in sharp focus at two different distances...
(standard axis notation/selon schéma)