Venezuela: Yellow Fever Outbreak – Vaccination Alerts & National Response

Venezuela’s National Academy of Medicine has issued a health alert and is urging vaccination against yellow fever, particularly for residents and visitors to the states of Lara, Portuguesa, Barinas, and Aragua. The alert follows confirmation of 29 cases of the disease and two fatalities nationwide, according to data reported on March 3, 2026.

Huniades Urbina, president of the National Academy of Medicine, issued the urgent recommendation for vaccination in the affected states. The Academy’s warning is based on data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), confirming the current outbreak. Yellow fever is a severe, potentially fatal hemorrhagic fever, with a mortality rate reaching 40% in unvaccinated individuals experiencing severe cases.

The virus responsible for yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes, specifically those of the Haemagogus and Sabethes genera found in forested, neotropical habitats, and the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which thrives in urban and domestic environments. The incubation period for the disease ranges from three to six days. The illness progresses through three clinical phases: an initial phase marked by fever, a remission phase where albuminuria may be present and most patients recover, and a final, toxic phase characterized by hemorrhage and acute liver failure.

Approximately 15% of symptomatic cases progress to a severe form of the disease, and roughly half of those with severe cases succumb to the illness within seven to ten days. The virus naturally circulates among non-human primates and sylvatic mosquitoes in at least 17 Venezuelan states, particularly those bordering Colombia and Brazil.

In response to the outbreak, the Sectorial Cabinet of Health, Ecosocialism and Science has held meetings to address the situation. The “Luciérnaga” plan is being implemented in the Libertador municipality of Aragua state, guaranteeing house-to-house immunization efforts.

A document released by the National Academy of Medicine on February 25, 2026, details the characteristics of yellow fever and emphasizes vaccination as the primary preventative measure.