Earlier this year, the Government of Nigeria nurtured a plan on the phasing out of the old-pattern Yellow Cards, and on substituting them with a new digital version. This innovation will go into effect on 1st July.
Yellow Card, also referred to as The International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) or the Carte Jaune, is a formal prophylactic immunization chart created by the World Health Organization (WHO). Basically, it’s one of exit papers (a.k.a. “medical passport”) which is recognized worldwide and may be required to enter certain countries with the abnormally high risks for foreign tourists’ health. The resent version of the Carte Jaune is called “e-Yellow Card”.
As explained by Mr. Abdulaziz Mashi Abdullahi (Permanent Secretary, National Department of Health), advanced electronic cards have been specially created to deal with the national issue of “cooked” medical passports. In a few days, every electronic International Vaccination Certificate will be equipped with a unique bar code and card number that can be scanned or verified at the Yellow Card official website. As for the rest, new medical passports are no different from the substituted ones.
Since July of 2019, electronic ICVP will be the only legal documentary proof of preventative immunization against amarillic typhus (jungle fever). This disease is widely met in Nigeria, and is potentially mortal, but can be prevented with vaccination. As a consequence, the immunizing inoculation against jungle fever is a must-have for tourists from overseas.
Based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) suggested guideline, all the foreign tourists aged 9 months and older should get immunized against amarillic typhus before visiting Nigeria. Same thing goes for those who are planing to travel out the country. The Permanent Secretary noted that additional actions had been implemented at border control points to prevent and regulate the spread of yellow fever. And one of the measures is a documentary proof of preventive immunization that is required upon arrival in or departure from Nigeria.
To get the e-Yellow Card, a person, who is going to visit or travel out Nigeria, has to undergo a registration procedure on the Yellow Card portal. It includes filling in an online form and paying 2,000 NGN (approximately 5.50 USD). Proof of payment as well as the external passport should be submitted to any Port Health Services Office where you can get vaccinated and obtain the new ICVP.
Mr. Abdulaziz Mashi Abdullahi also added that travelers without electronic Yellow Cards would be charged with additional payment for the vaccination (that would be done right at border control points or airports) and e-ICVP issue. He put a premium on cooperation with the National Department of Health through Divisions of Port Health Services where international visitors can easily receive e-Yellow Cards.
In accordance with the Permanent Secretary, in this way, global community can control the transmission of amarillic typhus across boundaries and even eliminate its widespread outbreaks by the end of 2020s.
Boade Akinola
Director Media and Public Relations
FMOH
