The woman suffered a severe and ultimately fatal reaction to the yellow fever vaccine, CDC specialists explain

Mar 20, 2015 09:34 GMT  ·  By
Woman in Oregon, US, dies after having been administered the yellow fever vaccine
   Woman in Oregon, US, dies after having been administered the yellow fever vaccine

A seemingly healthy woman living in Oregon, US, passed away after having been administered the yellow fever vaccine, the CDC announced this March 20. The shot was supposed to keep the woman safe from contracting the acute viral disease during a trip she was planning to take to South America.

Information shared with the public says that, just six days after having received the vaccine, the woman, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, started feeling seriously ill. Her symptoms included shortness of breath, diarrhea and severe vomiting.

The patient, who was in her 60s, was rushed to a hospital, where doctors hoping to save her life put her on a ventilator and administered her a cocktail of drugs. The treatment failed to work and the woman ended up developing heart damage and kidney failure.

Just three days after having been hospitalized, she died. An investigation revealed that it was the yellow fever vaccine that killed her. Thus, the woman is understood to have suffered an oddly severe reaction to the shot. The medical complications resulting from this reaction ultimately led to her death.

Such reactions to the yellow fever vaccine are extremely rare

In its report detailing the circumstances that led to the woman's death, the CDC explains that the condition that killed the woman is known to medical experts as yellow fever vaccine-associated viscerotropic disease (YEL-AVD, for short).

What this means is that, rather than train the woman's immune system to fight the viral disease, the vaccine overwhelmed her body by enabling the yellow fever virus to replicate out of control inside her.

Although not unheard of, such severe and sometimes even fatal reactions to the yellow fever vaccine are extremely rare. According to CDC specialists, just 4 out of 1 million people administered the vaccine develop YEL-AVD and need urgent medical care.

“The risk for YEL-AVD in the United States is approximately 0.4 cases per 100,000 doses of yellow fever vaccine distributed,” the CDC explains in an official statement concerning this case.

Her age and an unknown tumor made her more vulnerable

As shown by investigations carried out over the years, people over 60 are more likely to react badly to the yellow fever vaccine. Plainly put, this woman's age made her more vulnerable to YEL-AVD and all the medical complications that come with it.

What's more, the CDC says that, during autopsy, it was revealed that the patient had a tumor growing inside her thymus, i.e. a specialized organ of the immune system that sits close to the heart. This tumor is believed to have contributed to her developing YEL-AVD.

Had this tumor been diagnosed in time, the woman would not have been administered the yellow fever vaccine and she would have still been alive today. The thing is that, for the time being at least, medical protocols do not recommend screening for thymus prior to administering the yellow fever shot.

This is because, just like YEL-AVD, such abnormal tissue growths are extremely rare. According to specialists with the CDC, merely 13 cases of thymus tumors per 1 million individuals are documented across the entire US on a yearly basis.

This death of this woman does not mean vaccines are not safe

Medical experts reassure that the woman's death was no more and no less than an unfortunate accident and stress that this case should not be viewed as proof against the safety of the yellow fever vaccine.

As mentioned, both the woman's age and her suffering from an undiagnosed thymus tumors made her more vulnerable to the severe reaction she experienced and contributed to her death. In retrospect, doctors agree she should not have been offered the shot.

However, the CDC says that people who plan to visit regions where yellow fever is an issue should carefully weigh the risks and the benefits of not getting the shot and not dismiss the vaccine from start.

“The patient and clinician should discuss the risk for travel-associated yellow fever disease as indicated by season, destinations and duration of travel, likelihood of exposure to mosquitoes while traveling, and vaccination status, and weigh them against risks associated with vaccination,” the CDC explains.