When are Yellow Fever vaccines necessary?

[greatam]

We did Splendour of the Seas this past March from Valparaiso to Santos............around the Horn.

 

We did not get YF vaccinations and were still issued Visas for Brazil. We were visiting coastal cities so no special vaccinations were required as told to us by the CDC and our own travel clinic here which happens to be a part of Cleveland Clinic. Had we done a land tour or had taken a cruise inland...........then yes, we would most definitely would have had to have YF shots.

 

Has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Brazilian visas. Some of the cruise lines on some itineraries INSIST on YF vaccinations to board the ship. I think it is a proper determination BECAUSE you are going to other countries that MAY require PROOF of YF vaccination. But Brazil DOES NOT require YF for a Brazilian visa (unless this is a new requirement with the recent outbreak).

 

As posted previously, it is NOT to prevent you from getting YF. The shot is to PREVENT the spread of YF in other countries. And FUTURE travels, FUTURE countries could be HEAVILY impacted by LACK of a YF vaccination.

[helpmesailaway]

I am not very knowledgeable about YF so hope this question isn't "stupid"

 

I thought YF was transmitted by mosquitoes and the vaccination prevented developing the disease. How can a person without the vaccination infect others. We have nasty Lyme disease here and only people bitten will get infected ( if not getting antibiotics).

 

You are always so helpful, so I appreciate the info.

 

Thank you

[cruisenfever]

Has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Brazilian visas. Some of the cruise lines on some itineraries INSIST on YF vaccinations to board the ship. I think it is a proper determination BECAUSE you are going to other countries that MAY require PROOF of YF vaccination. But Brazil DOES NOT require YF for a Brazilian visa (unless this is a new requirement with the recent outbreak).

 

As posted previously, it is NOT to prevent you from getting YF. The shot is to PREVENT the spread of YF in other countries. And FUTURE travels, FUTURE countries could be HEAVILY impacted by LACK of a YF vaccination.

BINGO...............some itineraries.............not all itineraries insist on YF vaccinations. Our particular cruise around SA did not require vaccinations. I guess I got a little confused with the Visa thing............sorry.:o

 

This is where the responsibility falls on the cruiser to see if where they are going requires certain vaccinations. We did our homework.........found out no shots were required...........so we were good to go.

[greatam]

I am not very knowledgeable about YF so hope this question isn't "stupid"

 

I thought YF was transmitted by mosquitoes and the vaccination prevented developing the disease. How can a person without the vaccination infect others. We have nasty Lyme disease here and only people bitten will get infected ( if not getting antibiotics).

 

You are always so helpful, so I appreciate the info.

 

Thank you

 

In South America (Africa and other third-world developing countries), viruses such as YF are spread by fecal/oral transmission. Now most of us are NOT drinking water from holes in the street or other nasties, but how is an immigration officer to know that???? 20 something backpackers frequently live with local families and live life much as local families do. And if getting water from the "local watering hole" is part of the local families daily life, YF can be spread. Mosquitos are the prime cause, but monkeys also spread YF.

 

That is my take on the situation. Yes, cruise pax are NOT likely to get yellow fever from a hole in the street. Nor are they likely to be infected and further infect others. BUT HOW DOES an IMMIGRATION officer know where you have been or what you have done???? They don't.

 

And different officers, often depending on their "world view" and level of sophistication, may determine that "mom and pop" from Iowa probably have NO chance of transmitting YF. "Junior", also from Iowa and trucking around SA with his backpack, living off the land or with local families and bus ticket to lots of strange places may be the PERFECT transmission agent. How do you determine that???? How do you differentiate???? And what officer did you get on any given day????

 

That is the CRUX of the discussion. Some people are denied entry, some aren't. Some people may be denied entry in an ENTIRELY different foreign country in AN ENTIRELY different region (Asia for example) 6 months or a year after they have been in or close to an "endemic" area. I am NOT one to argue with foreign immigration officers, ESPECIALLY when I don't speak their language and KNOW I have NO HOPE of help from the USA (an Embassy visit doesn't count-that is only AFTER you are detained).

 

I travel as a woman alone on business to some pretty spooky places. I take ALL the precautions I can to make sure that I don't end up in some weird place, away from family and friends and having NO contact with the world. Those precautions INCLUDE a Yellow Fever shot. I firmly believe in discretion is the better part of valor. You can make your own decision. I have made mine.

[NavCom]

Hi Jack and Libby .... aka fellow Salsas 49'ers

 

We are with you folks on Splendor in January and like yourselves we were just not finding the answers on-line. The big problem is that there are so many variables that it is virtually impossible to give a difinitive "yes" or "no" answer.

 

We talked to our travel agent; had our travel agent contact Carnival; contacted Carnival ourselves (blind test <g>); had our travel agent contact the Brazilian and Argentinian Embassies; contacted the Argentinian Embassy ourselves (another blind test); and, of course, read every web page site we could find on the subject. What we found was that:

a. the YF shot is not required at the moment for any of the ports of call we are visiting;

b. reentry into the USofA (at Los Angeles) will not be a problem because we will have passed the quarentine period before reaching US soil; and,

c. flying to Iguazu Falls from Rio de Janeiro and then crossing the border at Iguazu Falls to Argentina does not require a YF shot (at the moment).

 

That said, any border agent, anywhere in the world has the sovereign right to demand to see a YF shot, even if it is only recomended. So, if you are not going to get the shot you had better have a real good excuse and the ONLY acceptable excuse is being over sixty and being at risk to an adverse reaction from the vaccine. Having a doctors letter is very nice but the ONLY legal piece of paper, in this instance, is the proper official stamp on a Certifiacte of Medical Contraindiction to Vaccine (can be part of your International Vaccination book or a separate card (depending upon which country you live in). Even with the exemption certificate, a border inspector still have the right, if they think you might have been exposed to YF, to put you into quarantine for up to six days. This is why it is so important to make direct contact with the Embassy of the country you will be entering if there is any potential that they might suspect you are coming in from a YF zone. We have the exemption certificates and e-mails from the Argentinian Embassy (since we will be crossing into their country from Brazil at Iguazu Falls) but we may yet take the risk and get the shot if the YF risk increases as the cruise departure date approaches.

 

What fun!

 

Jim

[helpmesailaway]

Thanks for the info Greatam. I didn't know about the other forms of transmission.

[cruisenfever]

 

BUT HOW DOES an IMMIGRATION officer know where you have been or what you have done???? They don't.

But when you are on a cruise............you do not see these Immigration Officers. They board the ship when it first docks in port and then they randomly............yes, I said randomly..............select passports to stamp. They did not stamp every passport of every passenger on our cruise.

 

On our SA cruise we visited 2 ports in Chile, 3 ports in Argentina and 2 ports in Brazil. We do not have stamps in our passports from all the ports we visited.

 

And they do know where you have been and where you are going by the ship's itinerary. This is presented to them when they board.

 

I guess if you were traveling by land...........I could understand the IO's decision to allow entry or not. Seems that they handle it differently for cruising.

[greatam]

That said, any border agent, anywhere in the world has the sovereign right to demand to see a YF shot, even if it is only recomended. So, if you are not going to get the shot you had better have a real good excuse and the ONLY acceptable excuse is being over sixty and being at risk to an adverse reaction from the vaccine. Having a doctors letter is very nice but the ONLY legal piece of paper, in this instance, is the proper official stamp on a Certifiacte of Medical Contraindiction to Vaccine (can be part of your International Vaccination book or a separate card (depending upon which country you live in). Even with the exemption certificate, a border inspector still have the right, if they think you might have been exposed to YF, to put you into quarantine for up to six days. This is why it is so important to make direct contact with the Embassy of the country you will be entering if there is any potential that they might suspect you are coming in from a YF zone. We have the exemption certificates and e-mails from the Argentinian Embassy (since we will be crossing into their country from Brazil at Iguazu Falls) but we may yet take the risk and get the shot if the YF risk increases as the cruise departure date approaches.

 

What fun!

 

Jim

 

VERY PERCEPTIVE. YOU HIT THE NAIL on the head!!!!!

[greatam]

But when you are on a cruise............you do not see these Immigration Officers. They board the ship when it first docks in port and then they randomly............yes, I said randomly..............select passports to stamp. They did not stamp every passport of every passenger on our cruise.

 

On our SA cruise we visited 2 ports in Chile, 3 ports in Argentina and 2 ports in Brazil. We do not have stamps in our passports from all the ports we visited.

 

And they do know where you have been and where you are going by the ship's itinerary. This is presented to them when they board.

 

I guess if you were traveling by land...........I could understand the IO's decision to allow entry or not. Seems that they handle it differently for cruising.

 

You would only have entry and exit stamps from the countries you visit, not one for each port. And if they "randomly" selected passports, they weren't doing their job and should be reported.

 

But you really are missing the whole point. NOT getting a YF vaccination COULD impact your future travels or even travels while you were on the ship. Example: MOST SA cruises offer a very expensive trip to MP. You leave the ship, fly to MP on a shore excursion, then board the ship again someplace "down the line". Those pax who took a MP excursion could VERY WELL be asked for a YF vaccination record to enter Peru. So who's responsibility is it-the cruise line???? And what happens if they decide to do the MP excursion while they are on the ship?

 

Or another example: Your next cruise/vacation goes to Panama. You MAY be denied entry into Panama by an immigration officer. OR you go to Panama BEFORE your SA cruise. You VERY WELL (most likely) would be denied entry into Brazil, visa or not.

 

The previous poster, NavCom, hit the nail on the head. ANY immigration officer in ANY country can deny entry due to no yellow fever vaccination and proof of it. Not likely to happen in Europe, but could very well happen in a lot of Asia, especially with all the high profile news about the SA yellow fever outbreak. NOT getting THE DISEASE is just another benefit of the vaccination.

[libby10205]

But you really are missing the whole point. NOT getting a YF vaccination COULD impact your future travels or even travels while you were on the ship. Example: MOST SA cruises offer a very expensive trip to MP. You leave the ship, fly to MP on a shore excursion, then board the ship again someplace "down the line". Those pax who took a MP excursion could VERY WELL be asked for a YF vaccination record to enter Peru. So who's responsibility is it-the cruise line???? And what happens if they decide to do the MP excursion while they are on the ship?

 

This was the deciding factor for us and our health care official. We are booked on a MP excursion. We fly on a chartered plan from Arica Chile to Peru. We will be entering Peru by air. We do not need YF to go to MP that is correct but our passports could be stamped upon entry to Peru. The ship arrives in Ecuador 2 days after leaving Peru. If anyone looks at the passport in Ecuador we must have YF to enter Ecuador because we have been through Peru and only 2 days have passed. WHO says Peru is endemic and Ecuador requires YF if having traveled through an endemic country in the past 6 days.

 

The right answer is for each person to check out their own situation. That was the advice that helped me the most.

[jwds]

If anyone looks at the passport in Ecuador we must have YF to enter Ecuador because we have been through Peru and only 2 days have passed.

 

In March of this year we took a tour, Globus, of Peru and Ecuador. We did not go to the Amazon basin, only the Andes and coastal regions, while in Peru. We flow directly from Lima to Quito. We did not have or need YF certificates. Since our flight was from Peru to Ecuador it was obvious to the officials in the Quito airport that we had just come from Peru, they didn't have to look through our passports to see that. We did not need the YF certificate since we had not been to the Amazon basin. I don't think that we had the "luck of the draw" since only one couple on our tour, 18 people, had the YF certificate and no one was asked for one.

 

I understand being cautious and getting the shots "just in case" but please don't state things as fact unless you are sure that they are. We did consider getting the shots but extensive research showed that we did not need them.

 

I must admit that it is possible that the situation in Ecuador has changed since March but according to CDC only the Amazon basin in Peru has "endemic Yellow Fever".

[greatam]

I understand being cautious and getting the shots "just in case" but please don't state things as fact unless you are sure that they are. We did consider getting the shots but extensive research showed that we did not need them.

 

I must admit that it is possible that the situation in Ecuador has changed since March but according to CDC only the Amazon basin in Peru has "endemic Yellow Fever".

 

And again, you were on a GROUP tour, most likely with a guide who spoke the language. AND you got an immigration officer that was amenable to situation (my other post about "world view" and "sophistication").

 

You also could have gotten an immigration officer that looked at your itinerary, saw the Peruvian stamps, COULD HAVE CARED LESS ABOUT "ENDEMIC" areas and REQUIRED a YF shot for entry into his country.

 

Please realize that you are in a foreign country. What the CDC states on their website, what WHO posts on their website, what is posted here on CC has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with what an individual immigration officer REQUIRES for entry into their country. It is THEIR DECISION. They CAN and WILL DO as they please. Sometimes you are the bug and sometimes you are the windshield. Again, who are you going to argue with????

[Luvcrusin']

You would only have entry and exit stamps from the countries you visit, not one for each port. And if they "randomly" selected passports, they weren't doing their job and should be reported.

 

But you really are missing the whole point. NOT getting a YF vaccination COULD impact your future travels or even travels while you were on the ship. Example: MOST SA cruises offer a very expensive trip to MP. You leave the ship, fly to MP on a shore excursion, then board the ship again someplace "down the line". Those pax who took a MP excursion could VERY WELL be asked for a YF vaccination record to enter Peru. So who's responsibility is it-the cruise line???? And what happens if they decide to do the MP excursion while they are on the ship?

 

Or another example: Your next cruise/vacation goes to Panama. You MAY be denied entry into Panama by an immigration officer. OR you go to Panama BEFORE your SA cruise. You VERY WELL (most likely) would be denied entry into Brazil, visa or not.

 

The previous poster, NavCom, hit the nail on the head. ANY immigration officer in ANY country can deny entry due to no yellow fever vaccination and proof of it. Not likely to happen in Europe, but could very well happen in a lot of Asia, especially with all the high profile news about the SA yellow fever outbreak. NOT getting THE DISEASE is just another benefit of the vaccination.

 

Why, after months of an incubation period after returning home and you didn't contract the dreaded YF, would you be denied entry into another area?? Wouldn't it be obvious that you are not a carrier?

[jwds]

And again, you were on a GROUP tour, most likely with a guide who spoke the language. AND you got an immigration officer that was amenable to situation (my other post about "world view" and "sophistication").

 

 

 

Actually, we were not with a guide while going through immigration in Quito, we were completely on our own. Our Peru guide left us at the Lima airport and our Ecuador guide met us after immigration in the Quito airport. Also, only one couple in our group had the YF certificate and no one was asked for it even though we went through several different lines.

[wineandcheese]

JWDS said, "I understand being cautious and getting the shots "just in case" but please don't state things as fact unless you are sure that they are."

 

 

This link from World Health Organization shows countries that require YF and countries that have a presence of YF and if you need the shot if traveling from a country with the presence of YF. I think it says that if traveling to Ecuador from Peru YF is necessary. If not how do you interpret it?

 

http://www.who.int/entity/csr/9789241580397_13_eng.pdf

[jwds]

This link from World Health Organization shows countries that require YF and countries that have a presence of YF and if you need the shot if traveling from a country with the presence of YF. I think it says that if traveling to Ecuador from Peru YF is necessary.

 

It is possible that requirements have changed since March. At that time the YF certificate was required only if traveling from an area where YF is endemic. In Peru this is only in the Amazon basin, not the Andes and the coast. This is consistant with the requirement currently shown at cdc.gov. I suspect that the WHO chart is presented as a very general summary to alert people that there "might" be a need for vaccination.

 

If some one is more comfortable getting the shots by all means they should. All vaccinations involve some risk and I prefer not to have them unless there is an actual need.

[wineandcheese]

 

It is possible that requirements have changed since March. At that time the YF certificate was required only if traveling from an area where YF is endemic. In Peru this is only in the Amazon basin, not the Andes and the coast. This is consistant with the requirement currently shown at cdc.gov. I suspect that the WHO chart is presented as a very general summary to alert people that there "might" be a need for vaccination.

 

If some one is more comfortable getting the shots by all means they should. All vaccinations involve some risk and I prefer not to have them unless there is an actual need.

 

Yes. It is true of most of the SA countries that the coast areas do not have the presence of YF.

 

If one traveled to Ecuador from Peru, how would the immigration officials know what parts of Peru had been visited?

 

If one traveled from Brazil to Ecuador, how would the immigration officials know what parts of Brazil had been visited?

 

If one traveled from Brazil to Uruguay, how would the immigration officials know what parts of Brazil had been visited?

 

Do the immigration officials have a way of monitoring travelers behavior and location while in a country? Do they just take the travelers word for where he has visited?

 

I did not see the word "might" anywhere on the chart. Did you?

[greatam]

Yes. It is true of most of the SA countries that the coast areas do not have the presence of YF.

 

If one traveled to Ecuador from Peru, how would the immigration officials know what parts of Peru had been visited?

 

If one traveled from Brazil to Ecuador, how would the immigration officials know what parts of Brazil had been visited?

 

If one traveled from Brazil to Uruguay, how would the immigration officials know what parts of Brazil had been visited?

 

Do the immigration officials have a way of monitoring travelers behavior and location while in a country? Do they just take the travelers word for where he has visited?

 

I did not see the word "might" anywhere on the chart. Did you?

 

BINGO!!!! We have a winner!!!!

 

This is EXACTLY why I have repeatedly posted about "endemic" areas and immigration officers. Some immigration officers may be sophisticated and worldly enough (and usually old enough) to REALIZE that you were on a cruise ship, didn't go anywhere EXCEPT a port area and probably didn't get exposed to YF, so you are not a threat to HIS country.

 

BUT-and that is the big word. China was checking about 50% of recent Olympic visitors for YF. IF they saw the Brazilian visa, they asked for the card. Didn't matter if the visa was issued 3 years ago. "You were in Brazil, you will produce YF cert or you won't enter MY country". Our friends got caught up in this (please see my previous posts).

 

And I have personally seen people turned away in China, Panama, Peru, Ecuador. NO, it may not be REQUIRED in any fine print UNLESS you have been to an endemic area. But WHO decides what comprises the endemic area?????? The immigration officer!!!!! Not some little map with yellow areas on the CDC or WHO websites. Are you REALLY going to put your vacation and even possibly your personal freedom at risk????? You very well could, if you get into an argument with an immigration officer who most likely does not speak English as well as you wish or does not adhere to "AMERICAN" culture.

 

As I have posted repeatedly, IMHO, get the shot unless you have a medical (or personal) reason NOT to get it. Then at least be prudent and get your doctor to write the waiver letter and get the health card from the Health Dept signed and sealed properly. Your FUTURE travels may depend on that little yellow card with the YF notation.

[greatam]

Actually, we were not with a guide while going through immigration in Quito, we were completely on our own. Our Peru guide left us at the Lima airport and our Ecuador guide met us after immigration in the Quito airport. Also, only one couple in our group had the YF certificate and no one was asked for it even though we went through several different lines.

 

Your guide was right there and had most likely interacted with the immigration authorities long before your plane every touched down. If there would have been a problem, the guide would have intervened.

[libby10205]

Changes to Yellow Fever Vaccine Country Entry Requirements or CDC Recommendations

 

Country Yellow Fever Vaccine Country Requirements or CDC Recommendations Changes Date Updated Additional Information Brazil No yellow fever vaccine requirement for travelers entering Brazil July 29, 2008 Brazil (Chapter 5, Yellow Fever Vaccine Requirements and Information on Malaria Risk and Prophylaxis, by Country)

 

WHO has not updated their information.

[Luvcrusin']

BUT-and that is the big word. China was checking about 50% of recent Olympic visitors for YF. IF they saw the Brazilian visa, they asked for the card. Didn't matter if the visa was issued 3 years ago. "You were in Brazil, you will produce YF cert or you won't enter MY country". Our friends got caught up in this (please see my previous posts).

 

And I have personally seen people turned away in China, Panama, Peru, Ecuador. NO, it may not be REQUIRED in any fine print UNLESS you have been to an endemic area. But WHO decides what comprises the endemic area?????? The immigration officer!!!!! Not some little map with yellow areas on the CDC or WHO websites. Are you REALLY going to put your vacation and even possibly your personal freedom at risk????? You very well could, if you get into an argument with an immigration officer who most likely does not speak English as well as you wish or does not adhere to "AMERICAN" culture.

 

quote]

 

Is there NOT ann immunization period that if you have NOT contracted YF it is apparent that you are NOT carrying it? After 3 years of being in a country that had a "possiblity" of being an endemic area and you never contracted it...why would you NOT be allowed in another country?

[wineandcheese]

 

Is there NOT ann immunization period that if you have NOT contracted YF it is apparent that you are NOT carrying it? After 3 years of being in a country that had a "possiblity" of being an endemic area and you never contracted it...why would you NOT be allowed in another country?

 

Officially as stated by CDC there is a 6 day waiting period. You should be able to enter the next country after having been gone from the country with endemic areas for 6 days.

Interesting story on one of my travels that has nothing to do with Yellow Fever.

We took a Greek Island cruise and then a year later went to Egypt and Israel. Five years later' date=' but with the same passport, we were leaving France from Nice. We noticed as we waited for the plane that we were being watched by the "entire" French force assigned to the terminal. We kept telling ourselves we must be imagining things. Then they came to us and took our passports for review. We sat in the waiting room for and hour. They continued to watch us and had taken our passport to a back room. Our flight was called and we walked to the gate. We were denied boarding. We had stamps in our passport that were questionable. I do not speak French and really don't know what was being asked of me. In English I kept telling them that I am a tourist. I don't know what I said to convince them but they gave us our passports back..... we were the last to board... they closed the door behind us. I always wonder what would have happened if I had "looked" different from how I do. It was frightening.

[/indent']

[baggirl0609]

Officially as stated by CDC there is a 6 day waiting period. You should be able to enter the next country after having been gone from the country with endemic areas for 6 days.

Interesting story on one of my travels that has nothing to do with Yellow Fever.

 

We took a Greek Island cruise and then a year later went to Egypt and Israel. Five years later, but with the same passport, we were leaving France from Nice. We noticed as we waited for the plane that we were being watched by the "entire" French force assigned to the terminal. We kept telling ourselves we must be imagining things. Then they came to us and took our passports for review. We sat in the waiting room for and hour. They continued to watch us and had taken our passport to a back room. Our flight was called and we walked to the gate. We were denied boarding. We had stamps in our passport that were questionable. I do not speak French and really don't know what was being asked of me. In English I kept telling them that I am a tourist. I don't know what I said to convince them but they gave us our passports back..... we were the last to board... they closed the door behind us. I always wonder what would have happened if I had "looked" different from how I do. It was frightening.

 

 

If we are going to Machu Pichu, the Princess Cruise, Iguazu falls(Argentinain side) and then back to the US, do you think it is necessatry to get a YF vaccination?

PLEASE HELP...I am so confused. I am over 60 and am concerned about the side effects of the vaccine.I also do not want to get Yellow Fever as Iguazu Falls is considered an endemic area.

Any suggestions????

[libby10205]

baggirl asked: If we are going to Machu Pichu, the Princess Cruise, Iguazu falls(Argentinain side) and then back to the US, do you think it is necessatry to get a YF vaccination?

 

 

If you feel there is a chance you need the YF shots, the best way to get a correct answer is to call your local health department. They have all the up to date information and access to information we do not. Do not make your decision based on what you read on these boards. Consult an expert. http://www.cdc.gov/ does say the shot is recomended for the falls.

 

CDC yellow fever vaccination recommendation for travelers to Argentina: For all travelers >9 months of age going to the northern and northeastern forested areas, including Iguaçu Falls and all parts of Misiones Province, as well as all areas bordering Paraguay and Brazil. These areas include: all departments of Misiones and Formosa Provinces; Department of Bermejo in Chaco Province; Departments of Berón de Astrada, Capital, General Alvear, General Paz, Ituzaingó, Itatí, Paso de los Libres, San Cosme, San Miguel, San Martín and Santo Tomé in Corrientes Province; Departments of Valle Grande, Ledesma, Santa Bárbara and San Pedro in Jujuy Province; and Departments of General José de San Martín, Oran, Rivadavia and Anta in Salta Province (see Updated yellow fever risk map for Argentina). Updated April 17, 2008 Vaccination should be given 10 days before travel and at 10 year intervals if there is on-going risk. Find an authorized U.S. yellow fever vaccination clinic.

 

My husband and I had the YF shots. We are 61 and 64. No pain. No side effects for us but they are a possibility to consider. If going into an endemic area I would want to take the shot. Those blood hungry little critters always find me.

 

I did have a reaction to the oral Typhoid. With it you take a pill every other day for 4 pills. I had nausea and some vomiting. My husband had no side effects.

[Gatormomma]

I am unable to get the Yellow Fever shot because of my past health history...it is a LIVE shot.

The local health department told me to get OFF insect repelent with at least 35% of active ingredient "Deet." Use it every day.

Can be purchased at Sports Authority or any camping store.

This might be your answer.