Yellow fever vaccination requirements for Brazil
 

Hi!

I'm travelling from Europe to Argentinia, from there to Chile and then to Brasil.
For medically reasons I don't need a vaccination against yellow fever, because I'm staying just in the cities, e.g. Buenoes Aires. But I'm not sure what about the entry to Brasil. Do they want an attest about a yellow fever vaccination, because I have been in Argentinia? I can't find any solid datas about this. Last time the WHO called an yellow fever alert for some parts of argentinia - but is it on the list of the "unsafe countries" in brasilia?

Thank you for your help!

Please continue to follow this thread in the FT South America Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

No you will not be required to have a vaccination coming from Buenos Aires, but it does depend on where you plan to visit in Brazil. There are many areas of Brazil where Yellow Fever is a threat, so please be certain that you will not be visiting one of those areas.

Sam

You do not need it for entry in Brazil coming from Argentina or Chile. In Brazil, if you're planning on visiting the Amazon states (places like Manaus, Belém, ...) you better take it, but if you're staying on the south/southeast areas (Rio, São Paulo,...) or even on the main cities on the northeast (Salvador, Natal, Recife,...) you should be ok without it.

In all my entries into Brazil, have never been asked for a vaccination certificate. I did take the shots and had it available when I actually did go for a week long tour of the Amazon.

Thank you very much for the replies.
I'm just staying in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, so there is no medical reason for vaccination.

So I think, I will travel to brasil without it.

Any requirement for yellow-fever vaccination to Brazil?
 

Hi, I'd like to know if a yellow-fever vaccination is officially required to get into Brazil? I did a search on this topic here but the info was 3 years-dated so I want to obtain more up-to-date info.

P.S.: I shall be flying from Doha to Sao Paulo ndirect non-stop (i.e. no 3rd country transit)

You should be fine.

http://www.timaticweb.com/cgi-bin/ti...ubuser=CONUSA1

We went in June 2009 without them. Not just not legally required, but also not recommended by our conference organizers or any of the doctors who knew where we were going. (We have friends in that line of work; it's not like we went from doctor to doctor asking.) There might be parts of the country where it's advisable, but it's definitely not a Brazil-wide need.

It's recommended if you are going to the Amazon and such areas. Not for Sao Paulo.
They don't check at the airport, regardless of where you are going

Although the CDS was recommending vaccinations for visitors going to a number of regions (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/...er-brazil.aspx), this was back in March. Anti-malarial prophylaxis is at least as important as a yellow fever vaccination if you're going to areas like the Amazon. Another possible danger is dengue fever, for which there is no vaccination. You avoid it by not getting bit by the Aedes aegypti mosquito (keep covered when possible, and use repellent). That particular mosquito can be active during the day. Although the hermorrhagic strain of dengue can be deadly, the much more common "regular" strain is seldom fatal if treated when symptoms occur. I live in Brazil and have never had it. CDC Web site has detailed info.

Brazil's requirements for a vaccination are based on where you're coming from, not where you're going to.

This info on yellow fever vaccination is from the Web site of the Brazilian consulate general in L.A.:
This certificate (vaccination should occur at least 10 days before travel) is always required if the traveler has been to any of the following countries within the last 90 days: Angola, Benin, Bissau Guinea, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Camerun, Central African Republic, Colombia, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guiana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenia, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Surinam, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda or Venezuela.

N.B. - If, for medical reasons, the traveler cannot be vaccinated, a letter (in Portuguese or in English) from a physician should be presented.

It is advisable if the applicant’s destination in Brazil includes any of the following States: Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Federal District, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and/or Tocantins.

I am a US citizen and entering Brazil at GIG on a direct flight from Lima following a MP visit. Do I need a yellow fever vaccine? I may not be able to get one so if I need one would a medical waiver work?

Requirements change and the enforcement/interpretation of the requirements can be, errrr, flexible. The vaccination certificate is valid for ten years, so it's not a bad idea to have one.

The downside is the cost and inconvenience (it's not immediately available everywhere), and the fact that it's a "live" vaccine, which can cause discomfort.

Indeed the medical waiver is intended to permit those with compromised immune systems, or possible allergic reactions, to travel without a certificate: it's not provided for the general convenience of travellers unable to locate treatment centres (though I guess YMMV :))


I'm not sure that a website such as this is a good place to seek anything but the most general advice on health-related issues.

From a non medical perspective but rather traveler experience, is it something they ask for in Rio when entering from say Peru?

-Legal requirements for vaccinations on entering a country are usually based on where you're coming from. I assume yellow fever is not endemic in Doha. You could confirm requirements with the nearest Brazilian Embassy or Consulate. Or perhaps the airline. If you show signs of illness upon arrival,you could be pulled aside to see a health officer. Not very common. From Peru, could be different IF one has come from an area where yellow fever is common. According to this site (http://www.aboutsaopaulo.com/travel/visas.html) one WOULD need to show a certificate coming from Peru, but Í don't know the veracity of the site (or how up to date it is). I'd contact the nearest Brazilian embassy, or PAHO (Pan American Health Organization). The consulate site mentioned above indicates Doha is not a problem but Peru could be.

-Getting a vaccination to go somehwere in Brazil where there may be yellow fever is, like getting anti-malarial prophylaxis, a recommendation. Up to you. Ask your doctor or a traveler's vacciantion clinic and also look up malaria (and yellow fever) at www.cdc.gov. For the Amazon, taking anti-malarial prophylaxis is, I believe, always recommende. Note that one health risk in much of Brazil is Dengue Fever, for which there is no vaccination. The mosquito that transmits it can be active during the day. The regular strain of Dengue is seldom fatal if treated promptly. The "hemorrhagic" strain is much more dangerous. There are currently many cases in some areas, including Ceará (Fortaleza). I've known people who have had both strains of Dengue. Nothing to fool with. If you feel ill (headaches, body aches, etc.), see a doctor (preferably private doctor; public hospitals are typically poor).