[The history of the yellow fever vaccine]

After three centuries of devastation caused by yellow fever, which hindered trade and colonization, a live attenuated vaccine was produced and is still in use today. Its development took place in a context of commercial and colonial rivalry between Europeans and Americans. The history of this vaccine, widely used in endemic areas and among travelers, has been marked by specific challenges, including international health regulations governing its use and its integration into childhood immunization programs in endemic regions. Shortages triggered by the resurgence of epidemics in Africa and Latin America led to measures such as extending the validity of vaccination and reducing the administered dose. Many uncertainties remain regarding the significance and mechanisms of the adverse effects observed after vaccination, which are rare but potentially fatal. The development of a vaccine that is equally effective but easier to produce and associated with fewer side effects is a central issue in the present and future history of this nearly century-old vaccine.