Are immunizations necessary?

If taking a cruise to the Panama Canal (with port stops in Cartagena and Limon), is it necessary or recommended to get immunizations for yellow fever or typhoid?

I went to the travel clinic yesterday. They recommended vaccinations for:

Hep A

Hep B

Typhoid

Yellow Fever

We have been on quite a few cruises with port stops in Cartagena and Limon and have never had any immunizations for either yellow fever or typhoid.

LuLu

Check with your cruise line but for a typical Panama Canal Transit vaccinations are not required, but not knowing your precise itinerary we really cannot comment.

Can you list the entire itinerary.

Keith

Yellow Fever is not something a casual visitor is likely to pick up. If you were camping in the back country in the Amazon basin, maybe, but as a day tripper on a cruise, no. The reason Colombia requires the vaccination for some travelers is to keep people from bringing it IN from places that have it, not so much to keep you from getting it there. Since you are not coming from a place with endemic YF, there is no requirement.

Typhoid and Hep A and B are always a good idea, but there is nothing particular about this cruise that would make it more or less likely (i.e. you would want to take the same precautions going to Jamaica or Mexico)