The Yellow Fever Vaccine Journey: Milestones and Future Directions
Yellow fever, a mosquito-borne viral hemorrhagic disease, remains a significant public health concern in endemic regions of Africa and South America. The development of the yellow fever vaccine marked a milestone in virology and immunization. In the 1930s, Max Theiler created the 17D live-attenuated vaccine, a breakthrough that has achieved global recognition and continues to underpin prevention strategies. This review outlines the historical evolution of the yellow fever vaccine, highlighting pivotal scientific advances, technological innovations, and global eradication initiatives. It examines the current landscape of immunization, focusing on the World Health Organization's Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) strategy, ongoing efforts to address vaccine supply constraints, and persistent surveillance gaps. Future directions in vaccine development, including next-generation platforms and improved delivery systems, are also discussed, alongside the need for sustained research investment and international collaboration. As yellow fever emerges in previously non-endemic areas due to climate change and globalization, strengthening vaccination programs remains critical to preventing outbreaks and ensuring effective disease control.
Authors
- Lysien I. Zambrano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9002-5807)
- Pooja Jaiswal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5634-8466)
- Jaime David Acosta-España (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5299-2732)
- Preeti Gupta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8285-0783)
- Aroop Mohanty
- Juan Pablo Hernández-Ovalle
- Shriyansh Srivastava
- Alfonso J. Rodríguez-Morales
- Sanjit Sah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5017-083X)
- Mohd Tariq
- Nandani Jayaswal
- Sathvik Belagodu Sridhar
- Rachana Mehta
- G. S. N. Koteswara Rao
Institutions
- Galgotias University (IN)
- Korea University (KR)
- Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (IN)
- Universidad Científica del Sur (PE)
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (EC)
- Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre (IN)
- Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune (IN)
- Suamandeep Vidyapeeth University (IN)
- National Autonomous University of Honduras (HN)
- NLR Nepal (NP)
- Institución Universitaria Visión de las Américas (CO)
- Korea University (JP)
- Dr D Y Patil Dental College & Hospital (IN)
- Universidad Internacional SEK (EC)
- Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (IN)
- Graphic Era University (IN)
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (IN)
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena (DE)
- Ras al-Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University (AE)
- Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University (IN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Vaccines
- Published
- 2026-01-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines14010065
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 83.69
Funders
- Agenzia Spaziale Italiana
- Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras