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Yellow Fever Vaccination - Requirements for Africa

Old Nov 6, 2015, 7:02 pm
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Yellow Fever Vaccination for South America or Africa
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Some countries or areas may require proof of vaccination - alternately, a certificate from a physician stating YFV is contraindicated for a patient - to enter YF areas, or in cases where travelers have visited Yellow Fever areas, generally in Africa or South America. "Travelers who arrive in a country with a yellow fever vaccination entry requirement without proof of yellow fever vaccination may be quarantined for up to 6 days, refused entry, or vaccinated on site." ((USCDC)


The US Center's for Disease Control and Prevention (Nov 2015):

Yellow fever vaccine is a live-virus vaccine which has been used for several decades. A single dose protects against disease for 10 years or more. If a person is at continued risk of infection, a booster dose is recommended every 10 years. See this page for caveats, etc.

As well, note:

Vaccine Administration

For all eligible people, a single injection of reconstituted vaccine should be administered subcutaneously. Revaccination has been required by certain countries at 10-year intervals to comply with International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Note: In February 2015, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) approved a new recommendation that a single dose of yellow fever vaccine provides long-lasting protection and is adequate for most travelers. The updated recommendations also identify specific groups of travelers who should receive additional doses and others for whom additional doses may be considered. The official ACIP recommendations were published on June 19, 2015 (see http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6423a5.htm). All current ACIP yellow fever vaccine recommendations can be found on the ACIP website at: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/index.html.

Although ACIP no longer recommends booster doses of yellow fever vaccine for most travelers, clinicians and travelers should review the entry requirements for destination countries because changes to the International Health Regulations (IHR) have not yet been fully implemented. In 2014, the World Health Organization adopted the recommendation to remove the 10-year booster dose requirement from the IHR as of June 2016. Once this change is instituted, a completed International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis will be valid for the lifetime of the vaccinee. Some countries have already adopted this change, which is noted under the yellow fever vaccine requirements on each countrys destination page. However, it is uncertain when and if all countries with yellow fever vaccination requirements will adopt this change. (Updated August 26, 2015)
See the CDC Traveler Health page here for much more detailed and important information.

The proof of vaccine must generally be from an authorized vaccination center, and is generally in the form of a "international certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis" standard proof of vaccination.


ICVP Form

Also see the Australia Department of Health page here

Also see the Canada Government page here

Also see the UK NHS "fitfortravel" page here

Updated 6 November 2015
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Yellow Fever Vaccination - Requirements for Africa

Old Oct 17, 2011, 8:13 am
  #31  
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Question about the yellow fever vaccine

Hi,

I will be in southern Africa, though not in any countries where yellow fever is endemic. However, I will be in a non-yellow fever country (Botswana) near the border with a yellow fever country (Angola). On the return, I have to transit Kenya (yellow fever zone) for a 9-10 hour layover before continuing on to Switzerland. My question is...do I have to get a yellow fever shot to enter Kenya for those 9-10 hours and or will Switzerland allow me back into the EU without a Yellow fever shot if I am coming from Kenya? I find it highly unlikely I would contract yellow fever during a 9 hour stop in Nairobi. I've been reading up on the vaccine and the incidence of serious side effects including organ failure and death seems to be ~1/400,000 with seems absurdly high. I would like to avoid the vaccine is possible. I am an otherwise healthy male in my 20's. Thanks.
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Old Oct 17, 2011, 10:54 am
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I've been to Kenya and they are pretty strict about folks having a yellow card (which shows that you've received the vaccine). When I entered Kenya at NBO, they were checking for yellow cards and two folks in my party forgot to bring theirs. They got sent off to another room and had to pay a fee (around $80 US each I think) to get a new card.
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Old Oct 17, 2011, 11:46 am
  #33  
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will you be able to stay in transit in kenya?
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Old Oct 17, 2011, 12:27 pm
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Please continue to follow this thread in the FT Africa Forum.
Thanks..
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Old Oct 17, 2011, 12:28 pm
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I would highly advise anyone travelling in Africa to get the Yellow Fever vaccine. It isn't worth the risk to not take it.
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Old Oct 17, 2011, 2:14 pm
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We have just come back from Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia & South Africa. Not once at any border crossing did anyone ask for our yellow card. The Yellow Fever shot is so costly now that I can imagine you would not want to take it. While I hesitate to advise because travel in southern Africa can be easily problematic... I think if it were me I would not take the shot under the circumstances you describe. And if you are flying with South African Air, be very careful... we had problems with them botching our reservation. We can to email a Freq Flier friend in Chicago and were on line wtih them an hour while United rerouted us out of JNB with Lufthansa.
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Old Oct 17, 2011, 4:42 pm
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Originally Posted by CIAlex
We have just come back from Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia & South Africa. Not once at any border crossing did anyone ask for our yellow card. The Yellow Fever shot is so costly now that I can imagine you would not want to take it. While I hesitate to advise because travel in southern Africa can be easily problematic... I think if it were me I would not take the shot under the circumstances you describe. And if you are flying with South African Air, be very careful... we had problems with them botching our reservation. We can to email a Freq Flier friend in Chicago and were on line wtih them an hour while United rerouted us out of JNB with Lufthansa.
Botswana, S.Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe don't require yellow cards. It's just the Kenya stop. I'm wondering if this will apply to be just for a 9-10 hour layover. I don't have an issue with the cost of the shot, I am just irrationally paranoid about the possible negative side effects.
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Old Oct 17, 2011, 6:06 pm
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Apologies for not being able to help with advise on Kenya. As far as the YF shot... over the years, I've taken at least 3 times, most recently in July 2011. No side effects whatsoever for me or my husband (his second time to take the shot in July).
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Old Oct 18, 2011, 5:03 am
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When I got my shot, I also experienced no side effects.

I don't know what the OP's citizenship is, but transit visas for US citizens don't appear to allow the holder to leave the airport. NBO is not a large airport and wouldn't be the best place to sit for 9-10 hours.
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Old Oct 18, 2011, 5:08 am
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Originally Posted by LizzyDragon84
When I got my shot, I also experienced no side effects.

I don't know what the OP's citizenship is, but transit visas for US citizens don't appear to allow the holder to leave the airport. NBO is not a large airport and wouldn't be the best place to sit for 9-10 hours.
I believe visas on arrival are available at NBO. I was going to purchase a regular entry visa and leave the airport and have lunch with a friend based in Nairobi. I agree, sitting there for such a long time would be lousy. To the person who has had the shot 3 times, I thought that the shot lasted minimum 10 years and thereafter you (maybe) needed a booster every 10 years? No side effects at all? My reading said 5-25% of people get mild side effects like headache and low grade fever. Obviously those side effects don't worry me, just the possibility of severe ones.
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Old Oct 18, 2011, 8:10 am
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Getting a visa on arrival should work. You'll have to stand in an extra line for it but it looked like the line was moving at a steady pace.
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Old Oct 20, 2011, 3:07 am
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Other than the yellow fever?

I have research the internet and not really sure about this question:

Do I need to be vaccinated from anything other than yellow fever to enter Kenya, Tanzania, Seychelles and South Africa?

How do I prove it? Is a paper saying I've got it enough or do I need a special little vaccine book?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Old Oct 20, 2011, 9:55 am
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I cannot answer the question on requirements, but I have used my little yellow book to record all my other jabs - there are pages and pages available... and your doctor can stamp them all for verification.

As they all last different amounts of time before boosters are required, I think it smart to keep them all in one place.
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Old Oct 28, 2011, 12:59 pm
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Originally Posted by mogensglistrup
I have research the internet and not really sure about this question:

Do I need to be vaccinated from anything other than yellow fever to enter Kenya, Tanzania, Seychelles and South Africa?

How do I prove it? Is a paper saying I've got it enough or do I need a special little vaccine book?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
We called the travel clinic here and the nurse there advised us on several other things that we didn't consider get vaccinated before (typhoid, hepatitis a). She also said the doc would write us a script for malaria and Travelers' Diarrhea to bring along. So I would suggest that you call the clinic you will be getting vaccinated and they should be able better advise you on what would suit your needs better.
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Old Oct 28, 2011, 1:15 pm
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You should get a small yellow booklet when you get your YF vaccination. That is the document they will (rather might) ask you for at the airport.

Aside from YF, I would definitely get malaria pills and make sure you eat those according to the prescription. You should also have the basics such as hep a/b.

I would also advice you to contact a doctor and discuss what you need. I for one travel though out most of Africa and I've had somewhere around 10 shots over the last 12 months to be on the safe side. But only your doctor can tell you what you should get. And it's probably safer to get a few extra than contracting some exotic thing...
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