Immunizations for South America?

[zook50]

We will be on Celebrity Eclipse, November 20, 2019 with stops in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.  We are also spending about a week after in Peru and will do a 5 day tour out of Cuzco.   We have done a lot of research and it seems that immunizations for Yellow Fever, Typhoid, and Polio/Tetanus/Diptheria are the commonly recommended ones for these countries. The jury's out on malaria, and everything points toward rabies immunization being unnecessary.

 

Has anyone traveled recently to these areas?  If so, what immunizations did you get?

[tallnthensome]

You don't need  any of that crap ..... You're worrying too much . 

[Covepointcruiser]

We had the immunizations that were recommended.   Our doctors agreed and also gave

us the prescription for anti malaria pills.    We live in an area with many folks who are in the military or work for the military.  Life has enough risks, avoid the diseases you can avoid!  We were seniors when we had the yellow fever vaccine, no reactions.

[Alakegirl]

None for us

[mom says]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

You don't need  any of that crap ..... You're worrying too much . 

Or perhaps not enough if their immunizations aren't currently up to date. Immunizations are not crap, they can be life saving.

 

OP, the best thing you can do is to visit a travel medicine clinic. They will take your medical and travel history and recommend the correct vaccines (if any) needed for your upcoming trip.

[zook50]

Wow - the only people who have ever said that they're crap here in Canada are committed anti-vaxxers!!  We're definitely getting immunizations, but just getting a variety of answers, so thought I'd put it out to fellow cruisers.  I have to say that my eyes have been opened a bit since a young Canadian man just died of rabies in British Columbia this month after a chance encounter (flew into his hand on a hike) with a bat.

 

We likely will hit the international travel clinic and confirm what we need, as you recommended. 

 

Thanks for the interesting responses!:)

[Turtles06]

21 minutes ago, zook50 said:

We likely will hit the international travel clinic and confirm what we need, as you recommended.

 

That's the best thing to do!

 

Enjoy your trip!

[bigbenboys]

2 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

You don't need  any of that crap ..... You're worrying too much . 

A friend of mine got 2 different strains of malaria while traveling outside the US. He did not want to take the pills. We all make choices in our lives. Some good some bad.

[zook50]

You are absolutely right!

[markeb]

This question pops up on Cruise Critic with some frequency, and with a variety of answers, as demonstrated in this thread..

 

I am not a physician. I cannot give you medical advice. I do have a tropical medicine background, so from that standpoint...

 

I would seriously suggest a good conversation with a travel medicine clinic. Some of what you've listed should be seriously considered if you're not current, regardless of where you're traveling, even in Canada (DPT). The rest is really a risk based discussion. If you're going to be in US/Canadian style hotels in urban areas, you may not need much. If you're going to be hiking in the jungle, you may need much of what you've listed, along with other things (insect repellent comes to mind) for common diseases in the area without vaccines. If you have impaired liver function for any number of reasons, you may change risk groups. Any number of other health related concerns can change your personal risk. The rabies example you gave is one of the extremes; probably very few clinics would have suggested that person get rabies vaccine. What no one likely did was warn him that even incidental contact with a bat is likely justification for post-exposure prophylaxis (vaccines +); many people in the circumstances you describe don't even realize they've been bitten or scratched.

 

So, follow through with a medical professional. Discuss your personal risks. Take prudent precautions as recommended. And then enjoy your trip!

[Jim_Iain]

I would personally call your health care provider and ask.   You may require certain immunizations due to health issues while another passengers will not require it.

 

Our health care provider has a Travel Service and when I took that trip plus the continuation around the Horn to Buenos Aires they only recommended that I be current with Tetanus, Hepatitis, Measles, Mumps Rubella (MMR).  Being over 60 they also recommended Shingles and Pneumonia.

[jelayne]

We have been to South America on 4  cruises, the first  where the yellow fever vaccination was recommended by the travel clinic.  We got that and have take. The documentation with us on subsequent cruises.  No one asked us and we had no other vaccinations.  My advice is check with your physician and a travel clinic, your health History is not the same as others so what I need and you need could be entirely different.

[ghstudio]

Clearly the decision rests with you after a discussion with your physician/etc.  However, you have to use a little judgement....for example, if you are visiting quito and cuzco, you should know that mosquitos aren't found above about 6500ft anywhere.  Probably not necessary to get any mosquito carried disease. Make sure whoever gives you advice takes the time to actually think about the specific areas you will be travelling in.....and not just following guidelines that apply to entire country.

 

For what it's worth, we have visited all those countries with no additional shots or pills.  We also didn't drink the soda with ice offered by the street vendors in small towns.....reasonable precautions....we weren't camping in the jungle.

[alwaysonaship]

We have been 5 times without any extra immunizations and would say they are not necessary. These are all sophisticated countries and nothing to be concerned about.

[Bo1953]

3 minutes ago, alwaysonaship said:

We have been 5 times without any extra immunizations and would say they are not necessary. These are all sophisticated countries and nothing to be concerned about.

Until there is dis-ease breakout such as measles or other such...

 

There are several 'go to' websites where one can find out what 'immunizations' are recommended for the areas and times one plans on traveling.

 

As j-i recommended, one needs to check in with their health care provider for input as well.

 

bon voyage

[ECCruise]

I think with that itinerary, vaccinations would be up to you and your medical professional.  In none of the areas in which you will be travelling is YF a big concern, but that should be your choice.  No way I would take the advice of some anonymous poster in a cruise message board advising you not to do something.

We will be sailing up the Amazon in November and a couple of ports we will be visiting (e.g. Devil's Island) will require a vax certificate.  You won't have that on your sailing.

[alwaysonaship]

Bo, again 5 trips and I think once we had a hepatitis vaccination. South America is a very sophisticated part of the world, and check if you wish, but most people have had everything they need as a child....I don’t know about you but I had the measles in second grade.

 

 

[alwaysonaship]

10 hours ago, ECCruise said:

I think with that itinerary, vaccinations would be up to you and your medical professional.  In none of the areas in which you will be travelling is YF a big concern, but that should be your choice.  No way I would take the advice of some anonymous poster in a cruise message board advising you not to do something.

We will be sailing up the Amazon in November and a couple of ports we will be visiting (e.g. Devil's Island) will require a vax certificate.  You won't have that on your sailing.

If I were going up the Amazon I would check, probably yellow fever. 

[ECCruise]

2 minutes ago, alwaysonaship said:

If I were going up the Amazon I would check, probably yellow fever. 

Like I said, we are required to have a vax certificate for a couple of our ports.  Doesn't matter since we had YF vax about 12 years ago and have documentation.

[alwaysonaship]

Sounds good. 

[TeeRick]

On 7/25/2019 at 5:33 PM, zook50 said:

We will be on Celebrity Eclipse, November 20, 2019 with stops in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.  We are also spending about a week after in Peru and will do a 5 day tour out of Cuzco.   We have done a lot of research and it seems that immunizations for Yellow Fever, Typhoid, and Polio/Tetanus/Diptheria are the commonly recommended ones for these countries. The jury's out on malaria, and everything points toward rabies immunization being unnecessary.

 

Has anyone traveled recently to these areas?  If so, what immunizations did you get?

Go to the US CDC website for vaccine information and recommendations and consult with your personal physician for your personal situation.  It does not matter who traveled there before you and what vaccines they got.  Why would that influence your own decision?  Would you take the opinion of somebody here that you don't know for any other type of medical question?  Or from your own physician?  That is the best approach IMO.

[TeeRick]

12 hours ago, ECCruise said:

Like I said, we are required to have a vax certificate for a couple of our ports.  Doesn't matter since we had YF vax about 12 years ago and have documentation.

Interesting.  Do you mind if I ask about this port requirement as I think it would be useful for some of us to know the details.  We are doing S.America for two weeks on Eclipse in January. From what I have researched, in general you need a YF vaccine certificate to enter some countries only if you personally live in or are recenly coming from a country or area where YF is endemic.  In what ports are you referring to where would you be required?  From your CC post it appears you live in the US, so certificate not required.  In general, the YF vaccine gives you lifelong protection so it is good for people traveling a lot to get it anyway.  It is recommended that you get a booster once every 10 years only if you are constantly exposed in endemic areas.

[ECCruise]

7 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Interesting.  Do you mind if I ask about this port requirement as I think it would be useful for some of us to know the details.  We are doing S.America for two weeks on Eclipse in January. From what I have researched, in general you need a YF vaccine certificate to enter some countries only if you personally live in or are recenly coming from a country or area where YF is endemic.  In what ports are you referring to where would you be required?  From your CC post it appears you live in the US, so certificate not required.  In general, the YF vaccine gives you lifelong protection so it is good for people traveling a lot to get it anyway.  It is recommended that you get a booster once every 10 years only if you are constantly exposed in endemic areas.

This is what we received from Oceania yesterday.  Kind of generic. The ship will not deny embarkation if you do not have the certificate but some of the ports may.  I know for sure that French Guiana where we are stopping at Devil's Island will require it.  Any maybe some of the ports after  we visit the Amazon in Brazil.  If you are doing the Eclipse BA-San Antonio or reverse route I wouldn't be concerned. We've done that route a few times and never even thought about vax.

[zook50]

Great discussion, everyone!  Thanks for the advice.  For the ports we'll be visiting plus our land tours after the cruise, the nurse at the International Travel Centre actually called and said we don't need any certificates for Yellow Fever (and, in fact, we wouldn't qualify for the shot, based on our trip).  Yellow Fever vaccine is in short supply in Canada (and elsewhere?), and so they are giving out partial doses to people travelling to high risk areas only.  

 

In fact, she said since we've both had shots for Hep A, B, influenza (will get our next annual one in the fall before the trip), measles as kids, and tetanus shots, we're good to go.  She said malaria and rabies aren't needed.  Re:  typhoid, she said it's not needed, as long as you drink bottled water and eat cooked foods in possibly "questionable" areas (Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru, Chile).

[zook50]

She also emphasized that only certain areas of these countries are "red flag" zones for all of the above.  Of course, the more "invasive" your trip is (ex.  deep into rain forest, jungle, etc.), the higher the risk often is.