Venezuela is experiencing a resurgence of yellow fever, prompting intensified vaccination efforts across the country, Health Minister Nuramy Gutiérrez González announced Friday. The outbreak is occurring alongside a broader regional increase in cases reported since late 2024 in neighboring Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, and Ecuador.
Authorities have identified four states – Aragua, Lara, Portuguesa, and Barinas – as priority zones for vaccination, with a particular focus on 22 parishes where the virus is currently circulating. Minister Gutiérrez stated that the public health system is fully mobilized to administer vaccinations to individuals aged one to 59 who have not previously been immunized.
“We have identified four states in which we must emphasize vaccination, which is where the virus is circulating,” Gutiérrez said, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Health. She urged residents of these states to locate their vaccination records to confirm their immunization status.
The Ministry of Public Health (MPPS) has assured the public that sufficient vaccine supplies are available to meet the initial needs of the four targeted states, as well as to support the military’s nationwide deployment capabilities. Additional vaccine supplies will be made available if demand increases in other regions, Gutiérrez added.
The announcement comes after the National Academy of Medicine (ANM) of Venezuela, in a January 6, 2026 statement, urged national health authorities to strengthen epidemiological surveillance in endemic areas and intensify vaccination programs, particularly for populations at risk and travelers to affected regions. The ANM highlighted that a single dose of the yellow fever vaccine provides lifelong protection, with exceptions for pregnant women whose travel to endemic areas is unavoidable.
According to the ANM, the virus naturally circulates among non-human primates and forest mosquitoes in at least 17 Venezuelan states, particularly those bordering Colombia and Brazil. Periodic deaths among primates, known as “monkey rain,” serve as an early warning sign of potential outbreaks.
Venezuela last reported a yellow fever outbreak in 2021, with at least seven confirmed cases and one fatality. A 2023 report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF indicated that vaccine coverage against yellow fever in Venezuela stood at 56%, prompting the ANM to call for achieving vaccination coverage of at least 90% in at-risk populations and maintaining strategic vaccine reserves.
Minister Gutiérrez also cautioned the public about the presence of other mosquito-borne viral diseases, such as dengue and chikungunya, which share similar symptoms – including general malaise, headache, nausea, and muscle pain – and advised seeking medical consultation for accurate diagnosis.
The government is also acquiring novel vaccine doses to address the outbreak, according to a statement by Vice President Isabel Iturria on Friday. As of February 27, 2026, a total of 36 cases of yellow fever have been confirmed in Venezuela since June of last year, with 75% of those cases occurring in individuals between the ages of 10 and 49.
The Ministry of Defense announced Friday that the National Bolivarian Armed Forces will join the vaccination campaign, supporting efforts to reach vulnerable populations throughout the country.
