Yellow Fever Vaccination for Cartagena Excursion

[jay44]

I will soon be travelling on the Coral Princess to the Panama Canal, one of the ports en-route is Caratagena. I have booked an excursion to climb a volcano and experience a volcanic mud bath at this port of call.:rolleyes:

 

However, on looking at what vaccinations are required for this cruise, it looks like I am going to need a yellow fever jab, just for this one stop.

 

At a cost of £50 for the vaccination, I'm wondering why Princess has not mentioned this anywhere in their cruise information.

 

Have any of you who have stopped in Cartagena for a few hours had the yellow fever vaccination?

 

Thank you.

 

Jay

[cruisingfreak]

I will soon be travelling on the Coral Princess to the Panama Canal, one of the ports en-route is Caratagena. I have booked an excursion to climb a volcano and experience a volcanic mud bath at this port of call.:rolleyes:

 

However, on looking at what vaccinations are required for this cruise, it looks like I am going to need a yellow fever jab, just for this one stop.

 

At a cost of £50 for the vaccination, I'm wondering why Princess has not mentioned this anywhere in their cruise information.

 

Have any of you who have stopped in Cartagena for a few hours had the yellow fever vaccination?

 

Thank you.

 

Jay

 

 

We stopped in Cartagena a few years back, & never need a Yellow Fever vaccination for that stop.

 

Did you check your Cruise Personalizer for any notices on needing this shot?

 

 

Minette

[dutchess43]

Before I go on a cruise I usually check with the CDC board here in the states, or I call the board of health in NY & see what we should have before we cruise. Before we went to Russia I was informed to get our dyptheria shots updated which we did. No where in my RCI cruise documents did it say anything about shots. I now just check if we are leaving the States to see if we should get any shots for protection. It is worth the extra money not to come down with anything.

[GloriaF]

We also checked with the CDC website, and got travel clinic info there.

 

We are also on the Coral to the canal and a supposed stop in Cartagena. No YF shots are required for this port. Malaria and dengue fever are the things to watch out for, protecting yourself with a strong DEET-based insect repellent and possibly a supply of malarial pills.

 

Our next cruise after the Canal is a 3 continent transatlantic on the Grand in April 08, and YF is required for French Guiana. Brazil did not require it.

 

We went to a Travel Clinic recommended by the CDC that specializes in this sort of thing and ended up with YF, Hepatitis A and Tetanus with diptheria upon the suggestion of the travel nurse. The YF is expensive but is good for 10 years.

 

Better safe than sorry, especially since you are going off the beaten path to do an unusual excursion. You are brave - I would not go that far into the country at this port due to unrest. You may need a body guard rather than a YF vaccine.

[PoohUnderstands]

We were in Cartagena in 2003 and never needed nor told needed any type of immunization.

 

Of course, we just went on the local see the city tour in the a.m. so that YF would be less of a problem. I, too, would feel fine taking a ship's tour around the city and area, but not go out of town either, but the tour sounds like a fun one!!

 

Will apply deet repellant this time around now that I know that there could be a problem, no matter how small, though!!!

 

It would seem that YF might be a problem in a rainforest type tour in either Costa Rica or Panama too, but nothing about those countries? Think I will just use Deet since I am not doing any interior type of tours this time around.

 

Pooh

[helpmesailaway]

Reading this thread has made me very concerned - and with good reason. We are going on a Panama Canal cruise in Jan. It is very important that my husband NOT get any of these tropical diseases - more than a normally healthy person.

 

Will Deet application be enough? I don't like applying pesticide - my own issues - but you can be sure that I will on this trip.

 

Has anyone recently on a cruise gotten any of these illnesses.

 

Also - what about the recent news of the resurgence of Dengue fever? Will deet help with this too.??

[jay44]

You are brave - I would not go that far into the country at this port due to unrest. You may need a body guard rather than a YF vaccine.

 

Right... now you have me worried.

 

Princess wouldn't sent you on an excursion if they think it will be dangerous would they?

 

Here is what it says about the volcano mud bath excursion:

 

WHAT YOU VISIT

 

Board your air-conditioned transportation for the approximately 45-minute drive to the infamous mud volcano. On the way to the volcano pass by the imposing San Felipe de Barajas Fortress, situated outside the walled city. Upon arrival at the mud volcano an orientation to the rustic facilities will be provided. A mud volcano is created by natural gases emitted by decaying organic matter underground. As the mud is pushed upwards by the gas, it deposits and hardens above ground and forms what appears to be a huge anthill. As more mud oozes out and spills over the edge it grows in size, gradually forming what you can see today: a miniature 50-foot volcano with a rich, creamy, mud crater at the top. If you have never been in a mud volcano before, then the initial feeling of mud on your skin is unusual to say the least. When you feel like you are about to become one with the earth, just climb back down the staircase and stroll down to the nearby freshwater lake where you can wash the mud off.

[jay44]

Did you check your Cruise Personalizer for any notices on needing this shot?

 

I couldn't find anywhere in my cruise personaliser which would refer to shots.

[venusbello1]

I wondered about this myself, and since all of Columbia is a yellow fever zone I went and got mine whether Princess thought I should have it or not. I also, as a another poster mentioned, got the Hep A shot and will probably go ahead and do the typhoid pills and tetnus before I leave. I went to the international travel section of our local health dept. and the YF shot was $105.

 

Interestingly enough this is another case of whatever the cruise ship requires is what you do. I too am doing a cruise with Devil's Island included next year and even though Princess says you must have it (YF shot) for this cruise, the CDC says that if you are only going to Devil's Island it is not necessary. If you are going to truly step foot on French Guiana then yes you would need it--so I don't really understand the whole process.

 

The other thing I do know is that there are some countries that will not let you enter them if you have been in a yellow fever zone and not had the shot, I believe mainland China is an example of this. Of course, since with cruises you do not get your passport stamped at each port (country) I guess the other countries wouldn't know if you didn't tell them.

 

Sorry for the long post!

 

All the best,

VB1

[silvercruiser]

You won't even be allowed on the ship to start with if you haven't met the requirements for vaccinations and visas.

[ggprincess2004]

Reading this thread has made me very concerned - and with good reason. We are going on a Panama Canal cruise in Jan. It is very important that my husband NOT get any of these tropical diseases - more than a normally healthy person.

 

Will Deet application be enough? I don't like applying pesticide - my own issues - but you can be sure that I will on this trip.

 

Has anyone recently on a cruise gotten any of these illnesses.

 

Also - what about the recent news of the resurgence of Dengue fever? Will deet help with this too.??

 

You need to have an in-depth conversation with a doc specializing in travel medicine. There is no vaccine for dengue fever, which is again on the rise. Recommendations are to avoid inland areas and use DEET. There are anti-malarial meds that can be taken.

There are several variants of dengue, one of which is hemorraghic fever. The problem seems to be that all the aggessive mosquito control measures that kept things pretty well controlled for decades have been neglected recently. The laxity in control measures had led to a resurgence of the disease. Also, increased travel has contributed a bit to the disease crossing borders.

Hemorraghic fever is by far the more dangerous type, but if treated properly and promptly in a normal person, is usually survivable. Don't know what immune issues your husband has, but honestly, talk to a specialist in travel medicine.

[Nutrioso]

Have to be careful with the wording the CDC uses on their site. There is a difference between "required" (must have) and "recommended" (should have). PENNY

[BJS]

Interestingly enough this is another case of whatever the cruise ship requires is what you do. I too am doing a cruise with Devil's Island included next year and even though Princess says you must have it (YF shot) for this cruise, the CDC says that if you are only going to Devil's Island it is not necessary. If you are going to truly step foot on French Guiana then yes you would need it--so I don't really understand the whole process

 

All the best,

VB1

I don't know your itinerary but this is what happened on our HAL cruise to South America and how the process was explained to us.

 

The ship had a port stop in Ecuador which is an endemic zone so Brazil would not let the ship dock there unless everyone on the ship had a YF shot. There was no option to just stay on the ship in Ecuador and not have the YF shot every single person on that ship had to have the shot. You were not allowed to board in San Diego unless you had the shot and the certificate was produced along with your passpoart.

[venusbello1]

I appreciate the information! I figure I might as well have all of the vaccinations the CDC "recommends" just in case! I would absolutely hate to get to the ship and find out that I couldn't board because of something like not having the correct shots!

 

Thanks again for the information!

 

All the best,

VB1

[franksandy]

Every 2 months, and because I believe in donating blood to save people lives...I have been very carefull not to go to ports or excurtions that might put my blood in danger...Its been a sacrafice, but saving someones life with my A- blood is worth it.

 

Sandy

[helpmesailaway]

You are so right. We need to get all the correct info. for our own individual cases.

 

We will do this - and probably not plan any excursions in any deep jungle also.

[GloriaF]

Jay - this is an excerpt from the info from the Travel Clinic about Colombia:

 

"Colombia is a developing nation in the lower half of the world's economies. It is a very dangerous country, and foreigners are specifically targeted for violent crime, kidnapping, and murder...."

 

The material below was also included in our info from the Travel Clinic, but is said to be quoted direct from consular websites of the USA, UK, Canada & Australia:

 

"Warning against Travel

Due to violent crime and the threat of terrorism against Westerners, the US Dept of State consular warnings advised against all travel to Colombia.

Crime

"The security situation is volatile, and the homicide rate remains extremely high. Viloence by narcotraffickers, paramilitary groups, and guerrilla and terrorist organizations is widespread. However, common criminals are responsible for an estimated 75% of reported murders. San Andreas and Cartagena resort areas have the lowest level of security incidents in Colombia. Criminal activity and violence directed against tourists in these areas is low.

 

Criminals sometimes use the drug scopolamine to incapacitate tourists in order to rob them. The drug is administered in drinks (in bars), through cigarettes and gum (in taxis), in food, and in powder form (tourists are approached ...and the drug, concealed in a piece of paper, is blown into the victim's face)." Beware of scams checking money by fake police, etc.

"Mass murders have occurred in national parks, which are often convenient hideouts for illegal groups. Avoid all national parks, wildlife refuges and big-city outskirts." {Doesn't this sound like the kind of area you will be going to the mud volcano?}

 

This and much more info can be found at travel.state.gov

 

Jay, I hate to sound hysterical or over-cautious, but I did want to give you the info that was given us. I am not trying to influence you. It is up to you to make a decision that is right for you.

[Fogfog]

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationColombia.aspx

 

suggests routine vaccines- DPT etc

PLUS

 

Hep A

Hep B

Yellow fever

Typhoid

 

etc

 

I am going to conside typhoid boosters and Yellow Fever

 

....our typhoid vaccines have expired..I think....as the first were in '99 and the boosters were later...I better look it up..

 

and also we'll consider the Yellow fever.

 

We are all current on all of the others..even DH and I had boosters on everything including MMB and polio in '99 since that stuff expires from childhood

 

We haven;t had a call for Yellow Fever before...

 

I see there is presently no vaccine for Dengue Fever.

 

Are the vaccines expensive..absolutely...One trip with the kiddos cost us almost $1000 US and that was in '99...

 

but I think the disease is far worse than the rx bill.

 

Our son just had the bacterial mennigitis vaccine...there have been severe cases of that in our state..and they recommend it for teens/college students now

[DrivesLikeMario]

Do remember too, that your ability to donate blood will be compromised with many of these port stops. I still can't donate blood for another 6 months because of a tour we took in Puerto Vallarta, and it's one of the more developed cities!

[jay44]

Jay, I hate to sound hysterical or over-cautious, but I did want to give you the info that was given us. I am not trying to influence you. It is up to you to make a decision that is right for you.

 

I've cancelled the volcano trip... and I'm getting a yellow fever jab just to be safe.

 

Thanks everyone for the advice!

[GloriaF]

Jay, probably better safe than sorry. I just noticed you are from the UK - here is the website for the UK consul warnings:http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel

[jay44]

Thank you Gloria... that is most informative.

 

I do wonder why Princess stop off at Cartagena?

[GloriaF]

You're welcome, Jay. Glad I could be of help.

 

As for your question about why Princess stops there ~ they haven't in the past few years. The port is again on the itinerary, but may still be skipped.

 

The first ship this season scheduled to stop in on October 7th, the Coral Princess. I plan to watch the webcam that day to see if they actually stop or have another sea day.

[arlenez]

My February 6th cruise through the Panama Canal on Island Princess has a port in Columbia, but we plan to stay on the ship. I called a travel health consultant and plan to make an appointment two months before the cruise to discuss innoculations and medications for both this trip and another one to China in May 2008.

 

Thanks for the advice,

[Floflegs]

typhoid needs to be redone every 3 years. Hepetitis lasts for 10 if you have the booster after 6 months