Going to Brazil? Get the yellow fever vaccine. Better safe than sorry.

[Tel1208]

 

I was attacked in this forum back in 2014 for telling people that I used my passport to take a cruise with less than six months remaining on my passport. Unlike the people who attacked me, I went to the countries of destination (Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary and Austria) after getting boilerplate information from Avalon Waterways that I had to have 6 months on my passport about 3 weeks before leaving. Each country required 3 months. I was told unequivacably here that I would be denied the cruise. I knew I wouldn’t and yet member after member told me to pay the expedite fee or I would be denied. I knew I would be allowed to fly, and I knew if I was walking the streets of Romania that the cruise ship would put me aboard.

 

 

JC

 

Perhaps cruising on an almost expired passport is different to flying? I certainly didn't get as lucky as you when travelling with a passport that was nearing it's end.

 

My British passport had 8 months "life" left when we travelled from Australia to Brasil via Argentina for the World Cup in 2014. I flew out on my Australian passport into Argentina but when I tried to leave Argentina on my British passport (no need for a Visa as they all share reciprocal entry) I was denied entry into Brasil as my passport would hit the magic 6 month mark the day after we were due to leave Brasil.

 

Luckily, the Brasilian Govt had offered all those who had WC tickets 'complimentary' visas into the country for the period of the WC. And as a "oh wouldn't that we a cool to thing to have in our Australian passports" we got one. Even though we didn't technically need it.

 

I got lucky, they definitely weren't going to let me out of Argentina on that British passport..

 

Back to the OP - I wouldn't leave here without getting all the vaccinations recommend by my countries travel advice bureau, just as I wouldn't leave without getting travel insurance (because taking a risk on either of those things is pure stupidity IMO). Added to that, I will now make sure I have a valid passport that has more than 6 months life on it when I return home from my trip - if I can afford to take a holiday, I can afford to make sure I have all the necessary documents and vaccinations up to date.

[frangran]

Yep. YF vaccine is not given to over 60's. I didn't really start travelling until I was in my 60's & now I'm in my 70's -- so there are a lot of places I just can never go! Darn & double darn! ;p

[TravelerThom]

Several points about which there may be some misconceptions.

 

Countries with indigenous Yellow Fever (eg Brazil) do not in general require travelers to be vaccinated. That country is not worried about you introducing YF; they ready have it. Vaccination is to protect you and protect immediately onward travel counties.

 

Incubation period for YF is 3 - 6 days. If you have contacted YF you are at risk of spreading the disease from shortly before onset of symptoms and 3 - 5 days thereafter. As far as YF is concerned it is useless for health officials to worry if you were in infected areas a month ago much less decades ago. BUT I cannot guarantee that every country has reasonable policies.

 

And speaking of unreasonable policies: In 2015 I took an Oceania cruise from Capetown to Rio. Oceania’s written policy was no boarding unless you could show proof of vaccination within the last 10 years. This in spite of 1) Rio not being a risk area at that time, 2) Brazil not requiring vaccination, 3) I had been vaccinated several times previously most recently 12 years before, and 4) the US Centers for Disease Control specifically recommending due to age avoiding vaccination unless going to extreme risk areas. After several times requesting their medical basis for thinking they knew more than CDC they finally gave me a written waiver.

 

Thom

[SRF]

I have found the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to be a good source of reliable information about vaccines. Here's their yellow fever vaccine page:

 

https://www.cdc.gov/yellowfever/vaccine/index.html

 

I want to flag something Keith mentioned above -- for people over 60, the yellow fever vaccine may cause serious health problems (as the CDC notes) and may be contraindicated. Our travel doctor alerted us to this a couple of years ago.

 

In terms of traveling to a country that bars entry if you're arriving from a country where there is a risk of yellow fever, the CDC Travelers' Health section is great for getting that info as well. Start here, and do a search for the country/countries to which you are traveling:

 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/

 

(BTW, for China, the CDC says: "There is no risk of yellow fever in China. The government of China requires proof of yellow fever vaccination only if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever. This does not include the US. If you are traveling from a country other than the US, check this list to see if you may be required to get the yellow fever vaccine: Countries with risk of yellow fever virus (YFV) transmission." Note that this does not say that you can't visit China if you've ever been to a country with yellow fever risk and have not been vaccinated, only if you are arriving from a country on that list.)

 

Some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination from EVERYONE entering the country.

[SRF]

Several points about which there may be some misconceptions.

 

Countries with indigenous Yellow Fever (eg Brazil) do not in general require travelers to be vaccinated. That country is not worried about you introducing YF; they ready have it. Vaccination is to protect you and protect immediately onward travel counties.

 

BTW, yellow fever is indigenous in the USA. :)

[SRF]

Hmm... how would they know? By reading my passport, that is no longer in existence which had the entire page that had the Brazilian visa on it. Let me list the countries I visited on my old passport that I replaced 9 years after my Brazil trip.

Uruguay

Argentina

Falkland Islands

Chile

Peru

Mexico

UK

Canary Islands (Spain)

Spain

UK

Spain

Portugal

Germany

Austria

Italy

Switzerland

Germany

Canada

Aruba

Holland

Belgium

France

UK

France

Spain

Portugal

Mexico

Canada

Bahamas

St Maarten

Canada

Republic of Ireland

Scotland

UK

Bahamas

St Maarten

Canada

Germany

Romania

Bulgaria

Serbia

Hungary

Austria

Germany

Not to mention returning to the USA after every trip....

 

O hey, you are right. Having visited Brazil without a yellow fever vaccination really screwed up my traveling.:evilsmile::eek::loudcry:

 

JC

 

There are a number of countries, that do not care where you have been or not been. They just require yellow fever vaccination from EVERYONE entering the country.

 

Non-tropical countries do not care, as they do not have the mosquitoes that will carry yellow fever. So if you have it, you will keep it to yourself.

[TravelerThom]

Some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination from EVERYONE entering the country.

You may be entirely correct but I was unaware of this. Not saying not true but which countries? Please provide sources for this data.

[xpcdoojk]

Several points about which there may be some misconceptions.

 

Countries with indigenous Yellow Fever (eg Brazil) do not in general require travelers to be vaccinated. That country is not worried about you introducing YF; they ready have it. Vaccination is to protect you and protect immediately onward travel counties.

 

Incubation period for YF is 3 - 6 days. If you have contacted YF you are at risk of spreading the disease from shortly before onset of symptoms and 3 - 5 days thereafter. As far as YF is concerned it is useless for health officials to worry if you were in infected areas a month ago much less decades ago. BUT I cannot guarantee that every country has reasonable policies.

 

And speaking of unreasonable policies: In 2015 I took an Oceania cruise from Capetown to Rio. Oceania’s written policy was no boarding unless you could show proof of vaccination within the last 10 years. This in spite of 1) Rio not being a risk area at that time, 2) Brazil not requiring vaccination, 3) I had been vaccinated several times previously most recently 12 years before, and 4) the US Centers for Disease Control specifically recommending due to age avoiding vaccination unless going to extreme risk areas. After several times requesting their medical basis for thinking they knew more than CDC they finally gave me a written waiver.

 

Thom

 

 

Dude, you are going to get stones thrown at you for discussing real facts and logic. Some woman on TV said, a few things about YF and you are required to quiver somewhere in a corner, while you do exactly as you were instructed by your superiors.

 

I need one of those waivers, as I approach 60 and my desire in my impending retirement to travel, I may have to just get one of those YF vaccinations when I go to the Doc, next month.... So, how do I get the waiver?

 

Back on topic.... please heed the newscaster who never took a single science class and get your damned shot!!!!

 

JC

[xpcdoojk]

There are a number of countries, that do not care where you have been or not been. They just require yellow fever vaccination from EVERYONE entering the country.

 

Non-tropical countries do not care, as they do not have the mosquitoes that will carry yellow fever. So if you have it, you will keep it to yourself.

 

It has been specifically stated in this thread that China cares. I recently, last year visited China spent a lot of money for a visa, and I never a single time remember anything about a YF vaccination.

 

I think China comes close to the tropics for sure subtropical above Malaysia.... why did the yellow fever thing not enter my adventure?

 

Yes the tropics don’t care that you have it which does make me wonder why in the modern age, unless you go to a place like Florida or New Orleans that they care much entering the USA since most of it is not a home for YF.... agree that we have potential for YF.... I know in the olden times a sailing ship from South America could infect the Caribbean, and maybe USA proper..... that said, not generally much of an issue.

 

JC

[Milwaukee Eight]

Maybe an issue with too many people forgetting to get a visa.

 

BTW, yellow fever is now "lifetime" so get it once, and you are good until they change their minds. :D

 

 

 

Does that mean the ones we got in the Military way back when are still good? Late 60’s early 70’s.

 

 

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[TravelerThom]

I have been to 99 countries that are UN members (including China) plus another 40+ non-sovereign political entities (eg Bermuda, French Polynesia, Falklands, Cook Islands, etc) and NOT ONCE have I been asked to produce proof of YF vaccination. That includes a 2015 arrival in the US non-stop from Brazil.

 

I have in fact been vaccinated several times, primarily to protect me and secondarily to protect others.

[TravelerThom]

Dude, you are going to get stones thrown at you for discussing real facts and logic...

 

I need one of those waivers, as I approach 60 and my desire in my impending retirement to travel, I may have to just get one of those YF vaccinations when I go to the Doc, next month.... So, how do I get the waiver?...

If you are in generally good health and hoping to travel in the future to countries with YF I would strongly suggest that you get vaccinated in the near future (assuming you can even find a supply; there is a very limited amount currently in the US and projections are no new supply until the end of this year). The waiver does nothing to protect your health, but is based on the risk from being vaccinated being greater than your chances of getting infected. If you are staying in hotels with a/c in large cities generally the risk is far less than a place in the Amazon with no screens. CDC can recommend a waiver from a Travel Clinic doctor rather than vaccination, but they have no control over its acceptance in other countries nor does it protect you.

 

Hainan China and other nearby areas are definitely in the tropics.

 

I apologize (no not really) for attempting to deal in facts😳

[SRF]

You may be entirely correct but I was unaware of this. Not saying not true but which countries? Please provide sources for this data.

 

I would have to check around. I have only traveled to 140 countries, but cannot remember which ones did.

 

They are not typically cruise destinations. But maybe 6 - 10 times I have had to present my yellow card (ICOV) upon entry.

 

Here is the WHO list - http://www.who.int/ith/ITH_country_list.pdf

 

BTW Bahamas:

 

BAHAMAS

Yellow fever (2013)

Country requirement: a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers over 1 year of age arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever

transmissionexcludingGuyana,Suriname,andTrinidadandTobagobutincludingSaoTomeandPrincipe,SomaliaandUnitedRepublicofTanzaniaand

travellers having transited more than 12 hours through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission (with the previous exclusions and

inclusions).

 

Here is one, but not a cruise destination -

 

BENIN

Yellow fever (2013)

Countryrequirement:ayellowfevervaccinationcertificateisrequiredfromalltravellersover1yearofage.

 

BURKINA FASO

Yellow fever

Countryrequirement:ayellowfevervaccinationcertificateisrequiredfromalltravellersover1yearofage.

Edited March 29, 2018 by SRF

[SRF]

Does that mean the ones we got in the Military way back when are still good? Late 60’s early 70’s.

 

 

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SUPPOSEDLY

 

I am not a believer in lifetime vaccines.

 

Smallpox was supposed to be lifetime.

 

Polio was also. But then a one time adult booster (after 18 years old) was recommended. Now, for certain countries, you should have had a booster within the last 5 - 10 years (I forget exactly).

[lynncarol]

Last summer there was a big shortage of the yellow fever vaccine and we were getting desperate. Then we learned that it was administered by the army to inductees during the Vietnam era. I don't know if that continued, but it is worth checking into if you are a veteran. The yellow fever vaccine is good for life, and it is a pretty pricey vaccine to get now.