Anyone Been Denied Boarding For No YF Vaccination?

[LostFan#1]

Hi Kelly,

 

I think this thread has gotten way off track, but I also think we've laid the YF issue to rest. My family lived near the airport. I grew up with my mom shopping at Nob Hill before it became "cool," and I graduated from Highland in 1970. Two degrees from UNM later, I stayed on to teach English there. That didn't last long as DH and I moved to Boise. But whenever I come "home," don't laugh, my favorite stop is Taco Cabana (the best green chile and so cheap!!) and then La Placita (for sopaipillas Taco Cabana doesn't have - but they make up for with their tortillas!). Man I'm hungry.....

 

Debbie

 

 

[kelmac]

1 hour ago, Fear-the-turtle said:

Hi Kelly,

 

I think this thread has gotten way off track, but I also think we've laid the YF issue to rest. My family lived near the airport. I grew up with my mom shopping at Nob Hill before it became "cool," and I graduated from Highland in 1970. Two degrees from UNM later, I stayed on to teach English there. That didn't last long as DH and I moved to Boise. But whenever I come "home," don't laugh, my favorite stop is Taco Cabana (the best green chile and so cheap!!) and then La Placita (for sopaipillas Taco Cabana doesn't have - but they make up for with their tortillas!). Man I'm hungry.....

 

Debbie

 

 

 

 

Yum!  😎  

[Crew News]

I am another future passenger on the Ms Westerdam next February who lives in Alququerque.  Grandma's KI Diner is sorely missed for lunchtime burritos but Tomasitas now comes really close.

 

My YF was from 1967 and was told that it was good unless I was "at risk".

[suzyed]

On 12/30/2019 at 8:52 PM, Fear-the-turtle said:

DH and I are on a 32-day trip from Santiago to FLL, leaving March 5, and I am stressing out over the yellow fever vaccine. We are both well over 60 and do not want to take the risks of the vaccine associated with age 60+ patients. We have an exemption signed by our physicians, but on our Roll Call, one person posted information from Princess that at the embarkation port, "local health officials" will examine our exemption papers and determine whether to accept them or not. That scares me! We don't want to be denied boarding since St. Kitts and Martinique require passengers to show proof of the vaccine (or have a waiver). So my question is this...

 

Have you been denied boarding, or do you know someone personally who was denied boarding because s/he didn't have the YF vaccine or waiver? I have a hard time believing that everyone on our cruise will have either had the YF vaccine or secured an exemption. I can't imagine Princess or local health officials denying boarding to scores of pax. I know we're supposed to read the vaccine and visa requirements for our specific cruise and ports of call, and I have done that (and more), and still I am worried. I do have an app't with the Univ. of NC/Chapel Hill travel clinic to discuss having a waiver issued by their travel physician on their letterhead.

 

Thanks for your input,

Debbie

Debbie, so glad to hear that I am not the only one stressing out about this situation.  It would really help if Princess would address the issue, but everyone seems to be getting different information!  I asked my TA to call and Princess told her the YF vaccine was not required. My family physician also said it was suggested but not required.  I keep going back and forth about this!
I think we will actually be fine in Brazil but the St. Kitts/Martinique issue is what worries me. Hopefully we will get some enlightenment on here.
Susan

[suzyed]

On 12/30/2019 at 9:06 PM, clo said:

I'll give the link after this

"If you cannot get the vaccine for medical reasons, but require proof of yellow fever vaccination for travel, your doctor can give you a waiver letter if he considers the risk acceptably low. If you plan to use a waiver, you should also contact the embassy of the countries you plan to visit for more information."

 

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/yf.html

How do we contact the embassies and which ones?  Brazil, St. Kitts, Martinique, etc??

[LostFan#1]

7 hours ago, suzyed said:

Debbie, so glad to hear that I am not the only one stressing out about this situation.  It would really help if Princess would address the issue, but everyone seems to be getting different information!  I asked my TA to call and Princess told her the YF vaccine was not required. My family physician also said it was suggested but not required.  I keep going back and forth about this!
I think we will actually be fine in Brazil but the St. Kitts/Martinique issue is what worries me. Hopefully we will get some enlightenment on here.
Susan

Susan, I hope you feel reassured soon. We ended up contacting a travel clinic associated with Univ. of NC at Chapel Hill where we live. For $20 each, they issued an exemption on the yellow vaccination card + a letter from the physician explaining the exemption. We feel content with both of these. Where do you live and when are you sailing? Perhaps we’re on the same March 5 ship out of Santiago?

 

Debbie 

[NoWhiners]

We just did an itinerary that included St Kitts, Martinique and the Amazon, among other ports. We only got the YF vaccine because we were going down the Amazon. A careful reading of the recommended vaccines note that for St Kitts (maybe Martinique, I didn't check), it is recommended if you are coming from a country that has YF (like Brazil). I doubt that you will need YF for a cruise that starts or ends in Santiago. 

 

When we were on the Amazon, we didn't see any mosquitoes. Also, we were never asked to prove that we had any vaccine, YF or anything else. Even on Devils Island, where they claimed you absolutely, positively had to have the YF vaccine, and prove it, to get off the ship!

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[suzyed]

1 hour ago, Fear-the-turtle said:

Susan, I hope you feel reassured soon. We ended up contacting a travel clinic associated with Univ. of NC at Chapel Hill where we live. For $20 each, they issued an exemption on the yellow vaccination card + a letter from the physician explaining the exemption. We feel content with both of these. Where do you live and when are you sailing? Perhaps we’re on the same March 5 ship out of Santiago?

 

Debbie 

Yes, we are on the same sailing...doing the 32 days.  We live in Florida.

[LostFan#1]

I look forward to meeting you. Good luck with the YF debacle!

[suzyed]

36 minutes ago, Fear-the-turtle said:

I look forward to meeting you. Good luck with the YF debacle!

Thanks, you too!
Here's another question I have.  If we just don't go ashore in St. Kitts and Martinique would that solve the problem of not having the vaccine?  Wonder if that's an option? Will they allow entry if you have a waiver?  I'm thinking not.
Of course finding the answer to that will be nearly impossible!
 

[LostFan#1]

Certainly valid questions whose answers, if not contradictory, are elusive. For peace of mind, see if a travel clinic will grant you waivers.

[delee78]

Hi all-

 

I just returned from a SA cruise that included Brazil.  Just thought I would share my experience as I stressed deeply about the YF vaccine before leaving the states.  

 

The WHO requirement for the YF vaccine for entry into Brazil was changed at some point in 2019.  The vaccine is now recommended, not required.  You need to check your home country and any other port of call on the cruise, but you will be fine if from the US and traveling to Brazil. 

 

No one asked for a single document - so I found that the WHO guidance is correct. 

[Lunenburg]

6 hours ago, delee78 said:

 

 

6 hours ago, delee78 said:

Hi all-

 

I just returned from a SA cruise that included Brazil.  Just thought I would share my experience as I stressed deeply about the YF vaccine before leaving the states.  

 

The WHO requirement for the YF vaccine for entry into Brazil was changed at some point in 2019.  The vaccine is now recommended, not required.  You need to check your home country and any other port of call on the cruise, but you will be fine if from the US and traveling to Brazil. 

 

No one asked for a single document - so I found that the WHO guidance is correct. 

It is not Brazil that requires the vaccination as they have yellow fever. it is the country you go to after that.   This site is updated daily. https://www.iamat.org/

Edited March 1, 2020 by Lunenburg