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Article from Inside Costa Rica Daily News

Wednesday 21 November 2007

Yellow Fever Vaccination Required After Nov 29

Beginning on November 29, visitors from Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and the other 17 countries on the list of 20, will required proof of vaccination against "yellow fever".

The measure also applies to foreign residents of Costa Rica who visit any one or more of the 20 countries on the list and then return to Costa Rica. Costa Rican nationals are exempt from the measure.

According to the director de Migración, Mario Zamora, currently Brazil is the only country affected by the measure.

What the measure will mean to Colombians, for instance, and other foreign residents in Costa Rica, who go home for a visit, they will be required to provide a vaccination certificate before they can re-enter Costa Rica.

Foreign residents, to avoid problems in returning, should be vaccinated in Costa Rica before leaving and at least 10 days before travelling. The cost of the vaccination is ¢10.000 colones and last 10 years,

The main concern of Health authorities in Costa Rica, which prompted the measure, is the transmission of Dengue by the Aedes aegypti mosquito that is can also spread yellow fever.

Some of the countries on the restricted list are: Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, French Guyana, Cameroon, Sudan, Nigeria

Thursday 22 November 2007

No Yellow Fever Vaccine Available in Costa Rica

The "yellow fever" vaccine mentioned in our story Wednesday Yellow Fever Vaccination Required After Nov 29 is not currently available in Costa Rica.

The vaccine that will be required as part of a new measure adopted by the Costa Rican immigration service applies to foreign residents of Costa Rica who visit any one or more of the 20 countries on the list, that includes Colombia, Venezuala, Ecuador, Brazil and Peru, and then return to Costa Rica.

Insidecostarica.com reader John Watts wrote us telling us that he checked with the major pharmacy Fischel, as well as the hospital CIMA and Clinica Biblica and they are all out of the vaccine.

As check of other pharmacies around San José told ICR the same story as the Fischel, who say they expecting a new batch of vaccine next year. However, no specific date was available as to when the vaccine would be actually available.

The situation creates problems for those wanting to return home for the holidays as they cannot get vaccinated in Costa Rica, being forced to obtain the vaccine in their home country and then wait the required 10 day incubation period.

Since the vaccination is not available, foreign residents in Costa Rica must obtain a waiver from the Ministerio de Salud (Health Ministry) prior to travelling.

The measure was announced earlier this year, allowing sufficient time for the health ministry to ensure a supply of the vaccine.

Costa Ricans are not required to be vaccinated

The main concern of Health authorities in Costa Rica, which prompted the measure, is the transmission of Dengue by the Aedes aegypti mosquito that is can also spread yellow fever.

What is yellow fever?
Yellow fever is a serious disease with symptoms of high fever, vomiting, jaundice, and bleeding. It is often fatal and there is no cure. Yellow fever is caused by a virus. It is passed to humans by bites from infected mosquitoes which tend to bite during daylight hours. (This is different to the mosquitos which carry malaria which tend to bite from dusk to dawn.) Yellow fever occurs in certain countries of Africa and South America.

Do US citizens need to be vaccinated?