Yellow Fever Shots For Costa Rica Visits?

I saw this entry recently on one of the Roll Call boards.

"Are we required to have Yellow Fever certificates for this cruise? I was originally told 'No', but I was browsing through the CDC web site last night and in their International Country Requirements List, it said that for Costa Rica you are required to have a Yellow Fever vaccination if you have visited Colombia.

Now I'm worried! Does anyone know for certain about these vaccinations???"

Does anyone have experience with this? Have any of you who have visited Cartagena and Costa Rica on the same cruise found that a Yellow Fever card was required upon arrival in Costa Rica?

Thanks for your feedback.

Boiler Cruiser:

I got this off the CDC website:

(If traveling from the endemic zones:) Americas: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, and Venezuela.

(Updated September 24, 2007)

My first question is: Do you need vaccination if you came from *a yellow fever endemic area* in those countries, or from anywhere in those countries?

Also quoting from CDC site:

Yellow fever vaccine entry requirements are necessary for travelers to comply with in order to enter the country. In general, these are in place to prevent importation and transmission of yellow fever virus. Countries requiring yellow fever vaccination for entry adhere to the regulations put forth by WHO as stated in the International Health Regulations. Some countries require vaccination for travelers coming from an endemic zone. “Traveling from an endemic zone” is defi ned as transit through an endemic zone in the previous 6 days. Country requirements are subject to change at any time; therefore, CDC encourages travelers to check with the appropriate embassy or consulate prior to departure.

I will watch this site to see if anyone can clear this up.

I was in Costa Rica and Colombia just last week and didn't need a yellow fever shot for either. If you're really worried then I would contact your cruise line for confirmation.

Happy sailing.

I have been to Costa Rica, Columbia and Venezuela and have not had any yellow fever shots.

They are ment for people who are going to be spending a few days in each country and goiong into the jungle. Those of us just spending a day in each port do not need them.

Just checked the CDC website for Maleria question also. It indicates it can be found in Limon. Although we are there during the daylight we do want to go into the jungle to see the beautiful country and animals. One form of Maleria is by a daytime biter. My husband got Dugue fever from a bite in Belize on a cruise. I'd hate to take the meds cause of the side effects but think I'll check with a travel clinic to make sure. He was really sick for about 6 weeks-scary but he recovered fine.

In April, we will be stopping in Peru and in Ecuador prior to our stop in Costa Rica. Has any one JUST RECENTLY followed this route and can comment on whether or not Costa Rica required the Yellow Fever immunization?

Bumping this thread. Has Costa Rica recently been enforcing the Yellow Fever certificate for cruise passengers coming from Colombia and Panama on a westbound Panama Canal itinerary? Port stops are under 12 hours at each. I was in Costa Rica in July and September, but that was direct from the US...

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2016/infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/yellow-fever-malaria-information-by-country/costa-rica#seldyfm707

Just off the phone with Celebrity about the YF vaccination question. She initially said "none needed" but I told her we had been receiving conflicting information via others who have called in. She put me on hold to check resolutions desk for our specific ship and sail date.

In a nutshell:

Celebrity does not require it. Advised to check with CDC and personal physician. I told her what CDC says and the certificate, but also read the in-transit and >12 hours airport. Resolutions Dept said if you are a US Citizen it is not required, and it is essentially up to passenger/physician and not a government thing.

So that may just put a twist in it. If it were a government thing, then I would suspect Celebrity would send out a communication to let us know it is required by the government like we have seen when visiting countries requiring a Visa. I read what was on CDC but she said it was in-transit visiting those countries (and we know less than 12 hours in port):

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2016/infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/yellow-fever-malaria-information-by-country/costa-rica

Also, the ports we are visiting beforehand are in the "not required" listing online:

Colombia

*

Related Maps

*

Map 3-24. Yellow fever vaccine recommendations in Colombia

Map 3-25. Malaria transmission areas in Colombia

Yellow Fever

*

Requirements: None

Recommendations:

Recommended for all travelers ≥9 months of age except as mentioned below.

Generally not recommended for travelers to the cities of Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena, and Medellín (see Map 3-24).

Not recommended for travelers whose itineraries are limited to all areas >2,300 m in elevation,2 the department of San Andrès y Providencia, and the capital city of Bogotá.

*

*

*

*

Panama

*

Related Maps

*

Map 3-36. Yellow fever vaccine recommendations in Panama

Map 3-37. Malaria transmission areas in Panama

Yellow Fever

*

Requirements: No requirements.

Recommendations:

Recommended for all travelers ≥9 months of age traveling to all mainland areas east of the area surrounding the canal (the entire comarcas of Emberá and Kuna Yala, the entire province of Darién, and areas of the provinces of Colón and Panamá that are east of the canal) (see Map 3-36).

Not recommended for travelers whose itineraries are limited to areas west of the canal, the city of Panama, the canal area itself, and the Balboa Islands (Pearl Islands) and San Blas Islands (see Map 3-36).

I am also in this situation. I see that according to the CDC Costa Rica and Nicaragua require a yellow fever vaccination if you are traveling from a yellow fever endemic area, in my case also Colombia. It seems this requirement may be overlooked for cruise passengers. Can you provide a link to the "in transit" and ">12 hour" definitions?

I've traveled to over 100 countries in the past 35 years, many visas, shots, and all sorts of other requirements. I can pass along this advice. Never get travel requirements from a cruise line, travel agent, airline, your friend Joe that just went, people on Cruise Critic or anyone else. The best source is directly from the country(s) that you will be visiting embassy websites.

For U.S. citizens, The State Dept is a good starting source, but primarily functions as travel advice from a safety and security standpoint. The country specific pages on the State Dept website does compile various other information such as visas and other entry requirements, but this all comes from the individual countries, health information from the CDC from a medical standpoint, as well as individual country's government imposed health requirements.

That said, specifically discussing yellow fever requirements, there's two reasons for yellow fever vaccination:

1) The obvious, to protect you from getting it, and;

2) Requirements imposed by specific countries

The CDC primary purpose is to medically advise you, and may give advice for country specific government imposed requirements, but you still should confirm that info with the country you are visiting. If both sources match up, great, you're good to go. If there's a conflict, then verify with country you are visiting and no one else.

Go to the country's embassy website and get your information directly from the horse's mouth. For example, if you're traveling to Costa Rica then go to this site:

http://www.costarica-embassy.org/index.php?q=node/21

If you have questions call or email the embassy of country you are visiting.

I am also in this situation. I see that according to the CDC Costa Rica and Nicaragua require a yellow fever vaccination if you are traveling from a yellow fever endemic area, in my case also Colombia. It seems this requirement may be overlooked for cruise passengers. Can you provide a link to the "in transit" and ">12 hour" definitions?

I don't know a link to the definitions - just that the info above was copied / pasted from the hyperlink I included that mentioned those things. When I called Celebrity they basically said they see nothing needing it for our itinerary and suggested we consult our personal physician and CDC website. Only a few on our rollcall have shared getting the vaccine or letter stating they cannot. We may just have a couple thousand people staying onboard that day I guess - will report back here what happens

Ironically, I just flew home from Costa Rica today. Spent October 16-20 in Cabo, flew home the afternoon of the 20th to Texas, washed/repacked, then flew to Costa Rica (San Jose area) the 21st (flying back to Texas the 24th). Of course those were from non-YF countries... so completely different from our cruise in two weeks for Panama Canal transit with Colombia in it. We have just decided that if we can't disembark the ship next month that is fine. Haven't been to the Puntarenas area before but we were just further north in the Papagayo Peninsula in late September and other areas this past July. It's definitely a great place for a land vacation IMHO [emoji106]

Here is the Costa Rica Embassy website that shows port areas as "in transit" which exempts passengers.... which is different in verbiage from CDC website (mentions in transit in airports)... so hopefully this is correct. Celebrity had told us to look at CDC website but Costa Rica Embassy website looks good:

http://costaricaembassy.be/en/consulate/visas/yellow_fever/

... Persons on their way to Costa Rica that have been in transit through countries at risk, (on theirs airports, ports and border posts) are exempt from the requirement of vaccination against yellow fever. ... "

This was a hot topic on our roll call in November. I called Celebrity too and the person their said we didn't need them but if " I felt more comfortable" I should get them. Anyway, long story short, no one ever asked or required any shots/immunizations on our 15 night cruise through the Panama Canal. We did go to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Cartagena, Colon and a couple of Mexican ports. Hope this eases your mind a little.I know it was unsettling when we went. When we got on the ship, we went to the guest relations desk and they confirmed, no shots needed.

This was a hot topic on our roll call in November. I called Celebrity too and the person their said we didn't need them but if " I felt more comfortable" I should get them. Anyway, long story short, no one ever asked or required any shots/immunizations on our 15 night cruise through the Panama Canal. We did go to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Cartagena, Colon and a couple of Mexican ports. Hope this eases your mind a little.I know it was unsettling when we went. When we got on the ship, we went to the guest relations desk and they confirmed, no shots needed.

I believe we were on the same cruise [emoji106] I had also called celebrity and told the above, but what was so confusing was others being told different. One was told "compulsory". I did ask onboard and told not needed at all, and shared the things being posted. It was funny not one word was said onboard after all that on the rollcall! But it was definitely concerning learning right at a month prior to embarkation that some had been told required [emoji51]

Rustybuttons123 advised checking the Costa Rica embassy website. Took a while, but their FAQ indicates that if you are in-transit then no vaccination is required. Note that I have never seen any entry inspection going through Costa Rica and the ship doesn't generally have either your passport or shot record:

• Any individual traveling to Costa Rica that has been in transit through: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and French Guyana, whether in airports, sea ports or land borders, will be exempt from the requirement of vaccination against yellow fever.
  

Fifth Panama Canal cruise coming up and have never have seen any immunization requirements at cruise line checkin. Also have never seen a mosquito in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and they do love me. I did get Hep A for this trip (and then found out Medicare/Tricare doesn't pay for it and I need a second shot this month) but no reason to get yellow fever shot.

Rustybuttons123 advised checking the Costa Rica embassy website. Took a while, but their FAQ indicates that if you are in-transit then no vaccination is required. Note that I have never seen any entry inspection going through Costa Rica and the ship doesn't generally have either your passport or shot record:

 

• Any individual traveling to Costa Rica that has been in transit through: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and French Guyana, whether in airports, sea ports or land borders, will be exempt from the requirement of vaccination against yellow fever.
  

Fifth Panama Canal cruise coming up and have never have seen any immunization requirements at cruise line checkin. Also have never seen a mosquito in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and they do love me. I did get Hep A for this trip (and then found out Medicare/Tricare doesn't pay for it and I need a second shot this month) but no reason to get yellow fever shot.

That's what I had found and posted above as well. [emoji106]What was crazy was even after sharing that on our rollcall, people were still reporting that their travel doctors were still saying it was required because CDC website said so. So much confusion ... or so much of a money-maker for the pharmaceuticals.....

We as a family of four, along with my mother-in-law, chose not to get it. Had zero problems or questions.