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Yellow Fever Card: How to know if its original or fake

Sample of the original Nigeria e-Yellow Card held in hand showing security features like the QR code and holographic seal to distinguish it from fakes.

The official Nigeria e-Yellow Card features a unique QR code and ID number for instant digital verification.

Nigeria Yellow Fever Card: How to Determine if It’s Original (Part 2)

In our last article, we provided you with information to enable you to assess the authenticity of your government-approved yellow card. This write-up will expand on the previous article, providing you with insights on the inner page of your yellow card certificate.

The Inner Page: Vaccination Details

The inside of the booklet contains the specific medical data that validates your immunity. To ensure your document is complete and accepted at borders, here is exactly what you will find:

  • Bearer Certification: Your full name is printed here to confirm that the person holding the document is indeed the one who was vaccinated.

  • Personal Demographics: This section specifies your Date of Birth, Gender, and Nationality.

  • Targeted Disease: The document explicitly names the condition you are protected against (e.g., Yellow Fever).

  • Vaccine Specifics: The specific type of vaccine administered to you is recorded here.

  • Date of Vaccination: The exact date you received the shot is listed.

  • Signature and Stamp: You will see the signature of the supervising clinician accompanied by a wet Port Health Officer stamp. This “wet” (ink) stamp is a key indicator of authenticity and distinguishes original cards from fakes.

  • Manufacturer and Batch: To ensure safety and traceability, the vaccine manufacturer and the specific vaccine batch number are documented.

  • Validity Period: The card indicates the date validity begins and ends. Important: The Yellow Fever vaccination is now valid for life. You can read our detailed article on that here.

  • Official Centre Stamp: This is the official seal of the administering clinic, explicitly indicating it is an “Approved Vaccination Centre.”

  • Other Vaccinations: There is space reserved to record other vaccinations and their respective dosages, if applicable.

You can read part one to have a better understand of the topic here.

Yellow Fever Card: How to know if its original or fake

Sample of the original Nigeria e-Yellow Card held in hand showing security features like the QR code and holographic seal to distinguish it from fakes.

The official Nigeria e-Yellow Card features a unique QR code and ID number for instant digital verification.

Nigeria Yellow Fever Card: How to Determine if It’s Original (Part 1)

The Yellow fever card is a mandatory document issued to Nigerians travelling to countries where the virus is not common. Because Nigeria records regular outbreaks of the disease, you must provide evidence of vaccination to protect the citizens of the country you are visiting. Also, to protect yourself from the deadly condition.

This requirement reduces the chance of travellers carrying the virus across borders. It is not just a formality; it is an international travel law recognised by most countries. However, with counterfeits in circulation, how can you determine if your Yellow fever card is genuine?

What Immigration Officials Look For

When you arrive at a port of entry e.g the Ikeja Airport in Lagos State. Immigration officers inspect your documents for specific security features. To ensure your travel isn’t disrupted, you should check your yellow card for the same details.

1. Details on the Yellow Card Cover Page

The front page of the document displays the following essential information:

  • The Issuing Authority: If you obtained the certificate in Nigeria, this will read “Federal Republic of Nigeria.” However, any authorised country can issue this document to both locals and foreigners.

  • The Certificate Title: You will see “International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis.” Don’t be confused by the heavy terminology. While vaccination refers to receiving the vaccine, prophylaxis simply means prevention. Essentially, this title confirms you are protected against Yellow Fever Virus or other specified conditions.

  • Recipient Details: Your name is printed on the card following your inoculation. If your full name cannot fit, your surname and initials will be stated instead. This is standard practice, so there is nothing to worry about.

  • Passport Number: Your valid international passport number must be indicated here.

  • Card ID: This is a unique code assigned specifically to you, consisting of a combination of letters and numbers.

  • QR Code: This is crucial for security purposes. Immigration officers scan this code to instantly verify if the certificate is genuine. However, because the Nigerian government recently upgraded its database, other measures are occasionally used to validate the cards.

For more information. You should read part 2 here. To learn more about the yellow fever immunisation for travel consult Inocul8 today.