yellow fever requirements for partial transit cruise

[bascoman]

I am cruising from Fort Lauderdale shortly, stopping at Cartagena (taking a city tour),panama(for trip down panama canal terminating in Colon),Limon(Costa Rica),and Jamaica.This is a partial transit cruise, returning to fort Lauderdale.

 

Please help!! Do I really need to have a yellow fever vaccination to cover the short time in these ports,and taking excursion in the cities? Do I need a yellow fever certificate to travel to Panama from Cartagana, or anywhere else enroute?

 

Also, Malaria is a slight risk in colon. Do I really need 4 weeks of medication for a short transfer back to ship from a boat trip down the Panama canal?Will I really need malaria vaccines for any other destination?

 

Any advise would be gratefully received please.

 

:mad::confused:

[Kamloops50]

I am cruising from Fort Lauderdale shortly, stopping at Cartagena (taking a city tour),panama(for trip down panama canal terminating in Colon),Limon(Costa Rica),and Jamaica.This is a partial transit cruise, returning to fort Lauderdale.

 

Please help!! Do I really need to have a yellow fever vaccination to cover the short time in these ports,and taking excursion in the cities? Do I need a yellow fever certificate to travel to Panama from Cartagana, or anywhere else enroute?

 

Also, Malaria is a slight risk in colon. Do I really need 4 weeks of medication for a short transfer back to ship from a boat trip down the Panama canal?Will I really need malaria vaccines for any other destination?

 

Any advise would be gratefully received please.

 

:mad::confused:

 

No vaccinations are require for tours in Panama or Columbia . If you where to go into the area near the Panama & Columbia border for a week or more it would be recommended. People keep hearing the Malaria vaccines are required , there isn't a vaccine for Malaria except a preventive drug , used to be called Atrabine (given to soldiers that fought in the Pacific Theater). Yellow-fever vaccine requires at least six to be done.

[BillB48]

No vaccines are required for the ports you mentioned and as noted by the previous poster the only should be considered if entering remote, deep jungle areas. There is not any significant risk in the urban areas which you will be visiting. Of course I am not a health professional and I don't even portray one on TV;)!

[Northern Aurora]

We have done three complete transits of the Panama Canal, and our family physician (who travels extensively himself) has never recommended any extra travel vaccinations.

[bascoman]

Many thanks for replies. I thought that I might be asked to produce a yellow fever certificate on disembarking at some of the ports, having arrived from an area with the risk of yellow fever, such as Colombia to Panama Is that not the case?

[BillB48]

I have had several partial and full transits over the past few years, no vaccination certificate of any kind was needed to board the ship or at any of the ports of call. In fact at the ports of call the only thing that was needed was your ship's ID and once in a while an additional photo ID such as a driver's license.

[BillB48]

I meant to add in the previous post... When you are just stopping in a country as a port call, you are generally treated as a person "in transit" much like a layover at an airport. You are not "officially" admitted into the country through their immigration and therefore don't need the usual documentation that might be required if you were permanently disembarking the ship.

[Bluemoon319]

No vaccinations are require for tours in Panama or Columbia . If you where to go into the area near the Panama & Columbia border for a week or more it would be recommended. People keep hearing the Malaria vaccines are required , there isn't a vaccine for Malaria except a preventive drug , used to be called Atrabine (given to soldiers that fought in the Pacific Theater). Yellow-fever vaccine requires at least six to be done.

 

I think you may be confusing the Yellow Fever vaccine with something else. I have gotten it in the past and also just confirmed with the CDC website that it is given as a single shot.

 

Malaria prevention drugs are given orally and there are several different types. They all have to be started before travel begins and continued during travel and for a specified amount of time after returning home.

[2ashevillesailors]

We have done three complete transits of the Panama Canal, and our family physician (who travels extensively himself) has never recommended any extra travel vaccinations.

 

Our CDC travel health dept. says no for where we are going. Said we should have up to date tetanus shot, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B shots.

[mconthehighseas]

The only cruises I have heard of people needing yellow fever shots for were for those in the Amazon, or for people who stop off at Iguazu Falls as part of a South American cruise. If you have been to Brazil, some places ask for you to show that you have had shots.

 

If you are concerned, check with your own doctor to see if you have some special background that would require shots, but as others have stated, you will not be asked to show proof of shots.

[geomarc]

Our CDC travel health dept. said we should have up to date tetanus shot, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B shots.

 

This is what our dr. recommended.

[Pannika]

This is what our dr. recommended.

 

I read if you are travelling back to Australia you need vaccination.

[sunshine&shiningstar]

just followed up with my doctor and only recieved the following; tdap,flu shot,hep a hep b will be in 6 months anti maliar pills and a prescriptions for antibotics as a precaution. due to we are in transit he felt that we did not need the other:o

[CruiserBruce]

If you are not getting off the ship and wondering into the jungle, you don't need any of those for Panama. Some are basics that you should have anyway, whether or not you are traveling (Hep A, Hep B, tdap flu shot). I think your doctor gave those as they are common sense, not because you are traveling to Panama.

[sunshine&shiningstar]

you are correct cruisebruce:D i could not remember when i had the hep shots or the tdap i always do the flu shot each year i was jsut say he did not think any other shots were worth it. plus my insurance (atn) would not pay for it and it was a range of $120 to $165 for yellow fever and thyoid :confused: so i chose not to.

[Kamloops50]

just followed up with my doctor and only recieved the following; tdap,flu shot,hep a hep b will be in 6 months anti maliar pills and a prescriptions for antibotics as a precaution. due to we are in transit he felt that we did not need the other:o

 

You shouldn't require anything for malaria. All tourist area are malaria free. Only the deep jungles in Southern Panama have malaria . They completely eradicated malaria when the canal was built.

 

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[OCruisers]

Never required for us on either Full or Partial transits. ;)

LuLu

[Keith1010]

As others have said it is not required.

 

Keith