YELLOW FEVER VACCINE/WAIVER

[suzyed]

Ok, so since Princess has not givien us any information, I will ask if anyone has any current experince with this.   We are doing a SA cruise that goes to two ports in Brazil where there are Yellow Fever concerns.  The vaccination may not be safe for those over 60 and/or have some immunity issues, thus a YF waiver may be obtained.   Is a letter from our doctor saying we are waived sufficient or is there a specific form that is REQUIRED?
The other issue is: we sail to St. Kitts and Martinique after Brazil and they require the vaccine if you've previously been to a country where there is YF.  Will the waiver/letter suffice?
The third issue is: if we don't have a waiver and we didn't get the shot will we be denied boarding by Princess when we get to Chile?
 

I know it's a lot, but any input is appreciated.

Edited February 9, 2020 by suzyed

[memoak]

I am over 60 no my wife has an auto immune issue and we both tolerated the vaccine. Also if you are going into the interior you may need malaria drugs as well.  Best to check with Princess

[Reader0108598]

6 minutes ago, memoak said:

I am over 60 no my wife has an auto immune issue and we both tolerated the vaccine. Also if you are going into the interior you may need malaria drugs as well.  Best to check with Princess

Best to check with your Doctor! We are also over 60 and I have more than one auto immune disease! Princess cannot tell you if their newest ship has stairs into a pool ! I would not trust them with that information! Rather ask a physic! lo! !

 

 

Edited February 9, 2020 by Reader0108598

[ghstudio]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

I am over 60 no my wife has an auto immune issue and we both tolerated the vaccine. 

 

Follow your doctors or health organizations recommendations.....someone else's medical experience does not have anything to do with what the OP should do.

 

Perhaps a better way to get an answer to the OP's post:

 

Has anyone been asked to show their vaccination certificate or a waiver letter at any time on a cruise.    I can't recall ever reading that anyone has ever been asked to show their vaccination certificate at check in or when embarking/disembarking at a port of call.  We cruise a lot, and we've never been asked....on the other hand we haven't visited Brazil or central Africa but we have visited Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador and Panama and have never been asked about yellow fever vaccinations.

 

BTW...if you ever had the vaccine and have the certificate...it is now good for life...not just 10 years.

Edited February 9, 2020 by ghstudio

[sueu]

We are in UK so this may not be useful, but when we did the Brazil cruise last year our GP advised against the yellow fever vaccination due to age. We had to attend a Travel Clinic where we were given a yellow waiver card. We kept it in our passports, but were never asked for it. 

[memoak]

When we boarded in the middle of the Amazon about 15 years ago and were continuing on to Devils Island we needed to show vaccinations for both Yellow Fever and Malaria

[Aus Traveller]

We have been on a few cruises around South America, calling into the coastal Brazilian ports and did not need the YF vaccination. We were not asked about it. Because of our ages and other health issues, I would be very hesitant to get this vaccination. As the other have said, ask you doctor. Outline exactly what you will be doing. In my opinion, sometimes medical professionals simply look at what is recommended for a country, in this case Brazil, without considering your limited time in the country and exactly where you will be going.

 

If you are going to Devils Island or on a cruise up the Amazon, you could need the YF vaccination.

[suzyed]

4 hours ago, memoak said:

I am over 60 no my wife has an auto immune issue and we both tolerated the vaccine. Also if you are going into the interior you may need malaria drugs as well.  Best to check with Princess

Princess knows nothing.

[suzyed]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

We have been on a few cruises around South America, calling into the coastal Brazilian ports and did not need the YF vaccination. We were not asked about it. Because of our ages and other health issues, I would be very hesitant to get this vaccination. As the other have said, ask you doctor. Outline exactly what you will be doing. In my opinion, sometimes medical professionals simply look at what is recommended for a country, in this case Brazil, without considering your limited time in the country and exactly where you will be going.

 

If you are going to Devils Island or on a cruise up the Amazon, you could need the YF vaccination.

Thank you.  We are just going to Rio and Salvador and have no intention of going to the interior.  
 

[dchip]

29 minutes ago, suzyed said:

Thank you.  We are just going to Rio and Salvador and have no intention of going to the interior.  
 

We went to Rio and Salvador last year on the Royal Princess. Our health advisor said we did not need Yellow Fever vaccinations since we were on a cruise and not going into the interior. They were not required to board the ship either. 
 

Cheers, Denise

[caribill]

It has been a number of years, but Brazil required the YF inoculation or waiver letter if you had been in a YF area before reaching Brazil.

 

We boarded in Fort Lauderdale and stopped at Devil's Island on the way to Brazil, so the YF inoculation/waiver was required. Those who did not have this were denied boarding in Fort Lauderdale until they went to a local clinic to get the inoculation and then returned to check in.

 

Since the OP is not stopping at a YF area before boarding the ship, the inoculation/waiver is not required by Brazil.

[suzyed]

5 hours ago, caribill said:

It has been a number of years, but Brazil required the YF inoculation or waiver letter if you had been in a YF area before reaching Brazil.

 

We boarded in Fort Lauderdale and stopped at Devil's Island on the way to Brazil, so the YF inoculation/waiver was required. Those who did not have this were denied boarding in Fort Lauderdale until they went to a local clinic to get the inoculation and then returned to check in.

 

Since the OP is not stopping at a YF area before boarding the ship, the inoculation/waiver is not required by Brazil.

I wasn't concerned about Brazil....but St. Kitts and Martinique require the vaccine/waiver to enter if we stop in a country (Brazil) that has YF.  Didn't know if that would create a problem with boarding since those stops are part of our itinerary?
BTW, we are boarding in Santiago, so would hate to go all that way and be denied boarding.

 

 

[caribill]

9 hours ago, Soccersms said:

Our doc is recommending it. I'm not at all happy about $300 apiece.  Is anyone going without a waiver?  We are both say over 60.

 

The last time we had this vaccine we did it at a county health care center, not at a doctor's office or pharmacy. Cost was much lower there.

[Reina del Mar]

There has been much discussion of this on Coral Princess' Roll call for 18th or 19th March. (Can't remember actual date..we start our travel on 15th.)

 

The issue is not YF in Brazil but being allowed into St Kitts and Martinique after visiting Brazil.

 

In their written information Princess puts the onus on the passenger to check what they need with a Medical Practitioner. 

 

We were concerned that after flying from GB, we would be denied boarding.

 

WE made appointments with our local Health Centre (GP) and were directed to a travel clinic. More appointments....when we gave our ages (68 and 64) and explained husband had had chemo and I am taking steroids for an auto immune disease, we were both issued with the YF Waiver  Card. There was a small fee to pay. We were told to wear light coloured, light weight,  long trousers and long sleeved tops and to use Deet Spray at least 50%.

 

Other people we have read about have been denied a waiver and some have paid large amounts for the vaccinations.

Think it depends where you are.

 

Hopefully no one will be denied boarding, but it wasn't a risk we wanted to take.

[Reina del Mar]

1 hour ago, Reina del Mar said:

There has been much discussion of this on Coral Princess' Roll call for 18th or 19th March. (Can't remember actual date..we start our travel on 15th.)

 

Think it is about page 16 if you don't want to read the whole lot !!

 

[CZEE]

On 2/18/2020 at 3:47 PM, Soccersms said:

Our doc is recommending it. I'm not at all happy about $300 apiece.  Is anyone going without a waiver?  We are both say over 60.

Get the waiver.  I had the Yellow Fever shot when I was on active duty and got viral encephalitis from it.  This vaccine is known for side effects.  Most folks I know who still venture to areas where yellow fever can be caught weigh taking the vaccine very carefully.  I was 29.  

[cherylandtk]

On 2/9/2020 at 1:54 PM, suzyed said:

..Is a letter from our doctor saying we are waived sufficient or is there a specific form that is REQUIRED?

Did not see anyone reply to this part of your question yet; the waiver is filled out on the waiver section of the same yellow card used to record the vaccination.  If you have your doctor also write a letter, fine, but I would get it on the internationally recognized YF card. (ICVP Figure 

4-03 on this page: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2020/travel-related-infectious-diseases/yellow-fever#table427

[suzyed]

13 hours ago, cherylandtk said:

Did not see anyone reply to this part of your question yet; the waiver is filled out on the waiver section of the same yellow card used to record the vaccination.  If you have your doctor also write a letter, fine, but I would get it on the internationally recognized YF card. (ICVP Figure 

4-03 on this page: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2020/travel-related-infectious-diseases/yellow-fever#table427

I guess my questions is, if the YF vaccination is not required, why would the "'official" waiver be required?  I did read in all my research that a letter from your doctor is sufficient, but who knows?

[cherylandtk]

Suzy, you asked three questions and I was only replying to the first one: is a letter sufficient to grant a waiver or is there a specific form.  
 

IF you need either the shot or a waiver, and IF you cannot have the shot, then you really ought to have that waiver on the specific required form.