Yellow Fever Vaccination

[wander]

Thank you for all your comments. I have emailed HAL (and will follow-up with a phone call) for a definitive answer as to requirements re YF and will post when I have further info.

 

Good idea to clarify things in your own mind. I just received a form letter from HAL with the specific (and clear) requirement options related to YF and Brazil about 2-1/2 months before the cruise. Hopefully they will provide the same for you.

[luxurysailer]

If one is unable to take the yellow fever vaccine it would seem very unwise to enter any area in which yellow fever is endemic or especially epidemic.

 

Insofar as adverse reactions to the vaccine are concerned, these are generally much less severe than the effects of yellow fever, so if you must go and your physician feels that you are medically able to tolerate the vaccine why not take it? Although we were dealing with a much younger patient population than the average cruise ship passenger, when I was a flight surgeon during the Vietnam war we administered several thousand yellow fever vaccines. I do not recall having seen a single significant adverse reaction.

 

Don't forget that when entering mosquito infested areas that there are many other mosquito borne infections that one may encounter- dengue or breakbone fever and malaria to name only two. So take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

[TCF]

There are a couple of reasons why confusion exists over vaccination. The first is the medical position of organizations such as the CDC. WHO ect. The second is the 'political' positions of the countries we may be visiting.

 

Add to this the fact that mosquitoes tend to wander around some, so each year the endemic areas in South America change....what was a nasty place last year isn't nasty this year and so on.

 

Brasil would not give us our Visas until we presented proof on the internationally prescribed attachment to our Passport proving what shots and when we had them.

 

It is, IMO, foolish to get ones advice on whether to get such shots, or not to, on a cruise forum thread. Go to your Doctor as step one.....go to your Travel Clinic as step two...make an informed decision based upon YOU.

 

It is expensive....$400 each for us...to get all the shots you may need....and part of that cost is subsidized by our governments. But the result of not getting all the advised shots could be much more expensive in many ways!

 

We have a friend who could not tolerate the yellow fever shot because of a life sustaining medication he must take. He got a letter from his Dr. that was accepted by the Brasilian Embassay...but he did not get off the ship when we were in the Amazon.

 

And as someone else pointed out...there are other nasties that mosquitoes carry ...like Dengue Fever for which there is no known treatment and is more lethal than Yellow Fever.

 

The point is....now you have read this thread you know there is confusion on this issue....some can get the shots....some can't....some countries need a certificate ...others don't! Make the rounds, calls, etc. and determine what is best for you and yours!

 

Don't spoil your cruise by worrying about the ugly little bug with the long nose each step of the way!

[bobpatj]

Just in case you missed it, those of you taking the 30 day Incan Empires cruise, on the Rotterdam, are required to get the yellow fever shot. We didn't know this, when we booked, and only found out about it on our Roll Call - not HAL. :eek:

[snowpixel]

For those of you on the October 31st HAL 35 day South American cruise out of San Diego to Rio, here is the definitive reply from HAL regarding Yellow Fever vaccinations. I quote here.....

 

"On this voyage the YELLOW FEVER vaccination is mandatory for all guests. Please consult your physician whether he or she believes you have a condition that would prevent you from receiving the YELLOW FEVER immunization. If that is his or her conclusion, your physician must give you a signed letter, on their letterhead, stating their conclusion and the basis for it. You must have the original letter with you upon embarkation.

All other guests must have original documentation showing they have been immunized within the preceding 10 years, preferably the International Certificate of Immunization booklet. Photocopies are not acceptable.

 

It is the responsibility of the guest to keep up to date on all immunization, passport and visa requirements. For U.S. citizens we suggest you check the following government website http://travel.state.gov/travel/travel_1744.html to keep updated on the most current information.

 

Holland America Line is not able to make vaccination arrangements en route or upon arrival, unless noted. Therefore, you must secure all necessary passports, visas and vaccinations prior to sailing. Guests arriving at the airport without proper documentation will not be allowed to board the aircraft. Guests arriving at the pier without proper documentation will be denied boarding by customs and immigration. If you are denied boarding normal cancellation penalties will apply. It is important that guests make sure their passports are valid for at least six months beyond the date of disembarkation."

[wander]

Snowpixel,

Glad you got the information straight from HAL. This is the exact information I mentioned in post #26, but I wanted you to hear if straight from HAL and not second hand, even if quoted from HAL.

[fishbabe]

[/b]

 

 

In 2006 we went to the Amazon (Prinsendam) with stops in the Caribbean as well as Devils Island, & had to have a Yellow Fever Shot which we got from our Local Health Dept. in Florida..We are well over the Age of 65..

 

You must check each countries rules to see if you need a yellow fever shot..If you look at this WEB site it will give you a map of South America & will show the endimic areas..Check all the coutries you are entering to see if they require a Yellow fever shot if you have entered another endimic area..

 

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2010/chapter-2/yellow-fever.aspx

 

If I had a medical condition which precluded my getting a Yellow fever vacination, I would never take the chance going into an endimic area with a waiver..

 

 

Betty

 

Betty, I found the website link you provided very useful. We are booked on the HAL Amazon cruise in Nov. 2010, so this is a major issue.

 

The CDC site also notes that the risk of Yellow Fever transmission in South America is highest during the rainy season (Jan.-May), with its peak in Feb.-Mar.

 

So I'm wondering how much less the risk is when you're on an Amazon cruise in Nov.-early Dec.??? DH and I will be speaking with our docs this year to decide whether we get the shot, get a waiver, or decide to forego this trip.

 

I'd be interested in hearing from those who have done an Amazon cruise (we go as far inland as Manaus), especially if you went on a waiver rather than taking the shot.

[R&CCruisers]

Doesn't HAL advise booked cruisers what inoculations are required? On our SA

cruises in 1998 and again in 2005 we were advised in plenty of time what shots were required as well as a Visa for Brazil.