Yellow fever shots required?

[Al the pal]

In April 2019 we are traveling from fort Lauderdale to Vancouver, BC. From my research, Colombia is known to be a country with yellow fever and some of the Latin America countries request proof of yellow fever immunization if you have visited a yellow fever country previously. Does anyone know if there is a waiver if you are on a cruise ship and only visit a country with yellow fever for 10 hours or less?

[mef_57]

5 minutes ago, Al the pal said:

In April 2019 we are traveling from fort Lauderdale to Vancouver, BC. From my research, Colombia is known to be a country with yellow fever and some of the Latin America countries request proof of yellow fever immunization if you have visited a yellow fever country previously. Does anyone know if there is a waiver if you are on a cruise ship and only visit a country with yellow fever for 10 hours or less?

There is a waiver for age or medical conditions. If you are younger than 60, it is worth considering getting it if you have any consideration for land travel to South or Central America, Asia, or Africa safaris, etc.

You can ask on the relevant cruise ship and also port forum whether it is required.

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, Al the pal said:

In April 2019 we are traveling from fort Lauderdale to Vancouver, BC. From my research, Colombia is known to be a country with yellow fever and some of the Latin America countries request proof of yellow fever immunization if you have visited a yellow fever country previously. Does anyone know if there is a waiver if you are on a cruise ship and only visit a country with yellow fever for 10 hours or less?

In the USA, the CDC has a terrific website that identifies what shots and prophylaxis are required/recommended/waived (e.g., age limits). Even then, some areas require things but don't enforce them. And some cruise lines actually require shots while others only recommend them.

In San Francisco, we are fortunate to have a Dept of Public Health travel clinic, that does info/shots/waivers.

Bottom line is that, if you are traveling to certain Atlantic side South American ports, you will want to get the standard international ID card for Yellow Fever that cites your having had the shot or a medically necessary waiver.

[Al the pal]

Thanks. We are Canadian, and 70 years old. I will check out those suggestions, first being the Holland America line.

[mef_57]

2 minutes ago, Al the pal said:

Thanks. We are Canadian, and 70 years old. I will check out those suggestions, first being the Holland America line.

Cdn here too. Our travel clinics will provide waiver letter if immunization is required....but as letters cost you, check requirements first.

[Velvetwater]

We did Columbia then Costa Rica (Which is one of the countries that require YF certificate in certain circumstances) on a cruise.

 

We heard lots of 'not required on cruises' and a few 'always needed' so decided to buy it as we like to travel.

 

Didn't get asked at all in Costa Rica but it was worth it for peace of mind and getting it sorted.

 

We were 28 and 27 at the time.

[MJC]

Just a heads up if you need a yellow fever vaccination: there is a shortage in the US currently, and we had to go to the one travel clinic in our area that had the European-approved drug (and we had to sign a waiver). If you have the same issue in Canada, my advice is don't wait until the last minute, get it well in advance.

 

 

 

[ldubs]

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

In the USA, the CDC has a terrific website that identifies what shots and prophylaxis are required/recommended/waived (e.g., age limits). 

 

X2 on the CDC site. It is well worth visiting and doing a little research.  As I recall few countries require proof of the vaccine.  It is one of those 'required' vs 'recommended' things.  Whether the cruise line requires it is a different matter, though I suspect they leave it as the responsibility of the passenger.  

 

It is good to note that recommendations for YF vaccine may not apply in many (most?) port cities where you are likely to dock.  For example, Brazil has yellow fever exposure in some areas but the YF vaccine was not recommended in Rio de Janeiro when we were there earlier this year.   However, like many important health related issues, do not take my word for it.   Do your homework on the CDC site and/or talk to your physician.  

 

BTW, I was advised there are some pretty severe side effects for us older folks who might want to use the alternative vaccine that has been temporarily approved due to the YF vaccine shortage.  Again, check with your doc.  

 

 

Edited December 12, 2018 by ldubs
added stuff

[canuckgardener]

In Edmonton, Alberta, Canada we also have a shortage of Yellow Fever Vaccine.  We have our Hep A and B and are travelling to Brazil in January 2019.  It is a suggestion to have the vaccine but not a requirement, thankfully,

 

[Scrapnana]

I have cruised from Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver (stopping in Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Costa Rica) and did not need a yellow fever shot.

[SRF]

Like a passport, proof of yellow fever vaccination is not required, until it IS required.

 

Just because someone in the past did not need it, does not mean you will not need it.

 

Check the requirements of the countries you are visiting, and make sure you are in compliance with them.

 

I have been to many countries that have required proof of vaccination, and not been asked.  I have been asked, and they only want to see that you have a ICOV, they did not check for the vaccination.  And I have had them actually check for a vaccination record in the ICOV.  And sometimes all 3 in the same country on different trips.

[gooch47]

I had to snicker a little at this post.  We got ours in 2010 and every time my husband gets sick he STILL blames it on the Yellow Fever vaccination.

[whogo]

Assuming your physician agrees and regardless of what is mandated for this cruise, if I were under 60 and thought I might ever travel to a yellow fever area, I would get the vaccination and accompanying International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis. You will be covered for the rest of your life. You do not want to risk catching yellow fever on your upcoming cruise and you don't want to have to weigh the risks of future foreign travel to a yellow fever area versus the risk of inoculation after age 60.

[Shorex]

There is a thread on the Crystal board discussing yellow fever vaccine. It may prove useful:

 

[SRF]

17 hours ago, whogo said:

Assuming your physician agrees and regardless of what is mandated for this cruise, if I were under 60 and thought I might ever travel to a yellow fever area, I would get the vaccination and accompanying International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis. You will be covered for the rest of your life. You do not want to risk catching yellow fever on your upcoming cruise and you don't want to have to weigh the risks of future foreign travel to a yellow fever area versus the risk of inoculation after age 60.

 

VERY good advice and thought.

[John Bull]

On 12/12/2018 at 8:53 PM, mef_57 said:

Cdn here too. Our travel clinics will provide waiver letter if immunization is required....but as letters cost you, check requirements first.

 

Yes, an important point.

Altho' age  is grounds for exemption, simply providing proof of age (eg passport) isn't sufficient. Where others are required to provide proof from a medical professional that they've been imunised (a Yellow Fever Certificate),  those who are exempt likewise have to provide, from a medical professional, a Yellow Fever exemption letter.  But shots are quite expensive, and an exemption letter should cost comparatively little. 

 

Immigration staff do seem to be more lax with port-of-call visitors.

Many countries (Brazil is the obvious example) have some regions that are high risk , some that are low-risk.

I believe that even Brazilians who've visited the Amazon rainforest are required to be certificated in order to travel to places like Rio.

Conversely, altho' Columbia is a risk area, the risk is in the highlands away from the coast, so single-day port-of-call cruisers at Cartagena aren't at risk and hence the more lax regime for them.

Altho' we have YF certs we weren't required to produce them at Cartegena or subsequent central American ports on a cruise with Thomson (now Marella) Cruises 

 

Your cruise line should know more precisely. 

Should - but my experience is that cruise lines' head office staff & T/A's don't know their stuff, especially on imunisations & visas. And unfortunately rather that admit they don't know, there's a tendency for them to take a hard line. Crew on the ships do know their stuff, but it's not so easy to get information from them in advance. I'd be more inclined to take the word of those who've recently cruised to these places.

For instance by repeating your question on the South America forum  https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/forum/47-south-america/

 

JB   

 

[Oscar13]

We are also going Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver in April.  I went to the Travel Medical Clinic at London Drugs, they researched the ports we are stopping at and made the recommendations.  Yellow Fever was one of them, it is good for 20 years.  They also suggested a current tetanus shot.

 

Happy cruising.

 

K2

[SRF]

21 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

Yes, an important point.

Altho' age  is grounds for exemption, simply providing proof of age (eg passport) isn't sufficient. Where others are required to provide proof from a medical professional that they've been imunised (a Yellow Fever Certificate),  those who are exempt likewise have to provide, from a medical professional, a Yellow Fever exemption letter.  But shots are quite expensive, and an exemption letter should cost comparatively little. 

 

Immigration staff do seem to be more lax with port-of-call visitors.

Many countries (Brazil is the obvious example) have some regions that are high risk , some that are low-risk.

I believe that even Brazilians who've visited the Amazon rainforest are required to be certificated in order to travel to places like Rio.

Conversely, altho' Columbia is a risk area, the risk is in the highlands away from the coast, so single-day port-of-call cruisers at Cartagena aren't at risk and hence the more lax regime for them.

Altho' we have YF certs we weren't required to produce them at Cartegena or subsequent central American ports on a cruise with Thomson (now Marella) Cruises 

 

Your cruise line should know more precisely. 

Should - but my experience is that cruise lines' head office staff & T/A's don't know their stuff, especially on imunisations & visas. And unfortunately rather that admit they don't know, there's a tendency for them to take a hard line. Crew on the ships do know their stuff, but it's not so easy to get information from them in advance. I'd be more inclined to take the word of those who've recently cruised to these places.

For instance by repeating your question on the South America forum  https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/forum/47-south-america/

 

JB   

 

 

Realize that a LOT of places that require the vaccination, are requiring it to prevent you from bringing it into their country, NOT to keep you safe.

 

So the country WITH yellow fever might not check, but the next country you go to may very well do so.

[John Bull]

22 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

I believe that even Brazilians who've visited the Amazon rainforest are required to be certificated in order to travel to places like Rio.

//

Altho' we have YF certs we weren't required to produce them at Cartegena or subsequent central American ports on a cruise with Thomson (now Marella) Cruises 

 

JB   

 

 

48 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

Realize that a LOT of places that require the vaccination, are requiring it to prevent you from bringing it into their country, NOT to keep you safe.

 

So the country WITH yellow fever might not check, but the next country you go to may very well do so.

 

 

Agreed, SRF.

In fact the protecting the population from being infected by a visitor, rather than the welfare of that visitor, is always the aim. 

But is that not obvious from my post?

 

JB    

[SRF]

Just expanding on what you said.

 

Some people have to be lead by hand. 😄

 

[Al the pal]

So I did finally get on the phone to Holland America, and they checked and came back saying that for our cruise we do not need yellow fever vaccinations. We are going April 2019 from Florida through the Panama to Vancouver, with stops in Colombia, through Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, and USA.

 

Perhaps one more phone call to them for a double check would be appropriate.

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 minutes ago, Al the pal said:

So I did finally get on the phone to Holland America, and they checked and came back saying that for our cruise we do not need yellow fever vaccinations. We are going April 2019 from Florida through the Panama to Vancouver, with stops in Colombia, through Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, and USA.

 

Perhaps one more phone call to them for a double check would be appropriate.

Check the CDC website for far more accurate info.

[Al the pal]

CDC = ?

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Al the pal said:

CDC = ?

US Center for Disease Control - website has current info for every country.

Edited February 2, 2019 by Flatbush Flyer

[h-sar]

Hate to bring this tragic dose of reality into this thread...but I think it’s necessary.

 

Last month, over New Year’s, we were on the Regal Princess and did the Lumiere Chef’s Table with an older couple and their absolutely charming, lovely early 40s daughter from Switzerland. Partway through the meal, her two children (two of the most beautiful kids I’ve ever seen), about 8 and 13, were brought in by one of the headwaiters to say a quick hello

 

Over the course of the dinner, she mentioned the many number of cruises on Princess she had done with her husband and children. She didn’t say why her husband was not present at the dinner and I never really did get around to asking. Toward the end of the evening, when I commented on how much her children resembled her, she said in fact they took more after their father who had passed away 11 months ago on a family trip to Brazil. He had contracted yellow fever and passed away within four days. This was their first cruise without him and she had not been sure how it would go. She said  it brought back a lot of wonderful memories of their past cruises.

 

It had been an absolutely lovely, magical evening at the Chef’s Table, made all the better because of their wonderful company, and then to hear her story at the very end was truly one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard. 

Edited February 2, 2019 by h-sar