Yellow fever vaccination?

[sweetgregoryps]

Confused about the requirements! We are on the Dawn for a dec 1 Panama Canal Cruise. Do we need vaccinations or not. The CDC information is vague. Also states they don’t recommend it for anyone over 59 ? I’m thinking with me having the drink package,,,, I will have enough alcohol in my veins at any given point in time to kill just about anything  bad 🤔🤔🤔😂😂😂

[tallnthensome]

No

[Oakman58]

No need for the vaccination.  There are only certain parts of Panama where you would need to take precautions which is why the CDC information is vague.  Shore excursions taken through the cruise line and the transit of the Canal won't require a vaccination.  If you were doing a shore excursion on your own deep into the jungle I would get the shot.

[Turtles06]

OP: for our Panama Canal full transit on NCL 2017 (Miami to LA), no immunizations, including for Yellow Fever, were "required."  Same for our upcoming transit in January (NY to San Francisco). 

 

That said, the CDC's recommendations (including for typhoid and Hep A, btw) and are best discussed with your own doctor or travel clinic, and what you decide may depend on the specific shore excursions you intend to take, not to mention your age and medical history.    

[TPgal]

I asked the travel specialist at our doctor's office and they recommended that we get a Hep A series.  The timing wasn't quite right and we were only able to get the first shot before we left, but she said it was better than nothing.

 

As a precaution, for our excursion days where we left the ship to be outdoors (not at the beach) we treated our clothing with Permethrin.  It stunk during application, but by the time the clothes were dry the smell was gone and didn't cause the other items in our luggage to smell either.   We did the treatment before we left on our trip.  

 

I am quite the buffet for pacific northwest mosquitoes but during our 11 day cruise I was free from any bites - even during our panama canal by ferry and Costa Rica canal and train excursions.