health
May 7, 2026
Government expanded the yellow fever vaccination plan to 10 states
The Venezuelan government has expanded its yellow fever vaccination plan, incorporating six new states into the campaign.
TL;DR
- Venezuela's interim government, led by Delcy Rodríguez, has extended its yellow fever vaccination plan to 10 states.
- Six new states – Guárico, Monagas, Sucre, Apure, Yaracuy, and Cojedes – have been added to the campaign.
- These new regions join Aragua, Barinas, Lara, and Portuguesa, where the vaccination was already underway.
- As of May 6, 793,455 doses of the yellow fever vaccine had been administered, with one dose providing lifelong protection.
- A training program has been initiated, with 15,000 students already capacitated, and plans to train a similar number for the newly incorporated states.
- In March 2026, health organizations urged Venezuelan authorities to take measures against an "onset" of yellow fever epidemic, noting cases from June 2025.
- The former Minister of Health, Nuramy Gutiérrez, confirmed "some deaths" from yellow fever in the previous year without providing figures to avoid public panic.
- As of March 10, 2026, "only seven positive cases" had been registered, with an epidemiological alert in place.
- The goal is to achieve 95% vaccination coverage, with approximately 49,000 people vaccinated up to that date, in addition to three million vaccinated in the prior decade.
- Yellow fever is endemic in about 70% of Venezuelan territory, with three ecological corridors identified for its wild circulation.
- Experts recommend a national-scale vaccination campaign due to the widespread endemic nature and risk of transmission across various regions.