Yellow Fever - Vaccination Availability, Vaccination Requirements for Entry into Panama, and Certification of Vaccination

[TwoSailors]

 

On 4/17/2018 at 4:57 PM, Doug and Jo said:

Colombia is now requiring that foreign visitors show proof of Yellow Fever vaccination or show a certificate of exemption prior to entering the country as a preemptive measure

Doug and Jo,  Where did you get the above information? I have researched everywhere, called Copa Airlines, looked at the WHO site, CDC, and the Consulate of Colombia's website and find no information as you have stated that Colombia is "now requiring visitors must show proof of the vaccine. How about sharing your  ( hopefully) verified resource for this?

This from the Colombia Consulates web site:

Vaccines
Vaccines depend on the characteristics of the traveler and the chosen destination. The former should consider: age, sex, previous vaccinations, previous illnesses, current health status, allergies to vaccines or any of its components, medication that may interfere with the response of the vaccine, pregnancy and immunodeficiency.
To travel to certain regions of the country it is required to have been vaccinated against yellow fever at least 15 days before the start of the trip. This vaccine is recommended for those who travel to the departments of La Guajira, Norte de Santander, Putumayo and the regions, such as: the Eastern Plains, the Amazon, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the entire Atlantic Coast. 
It is harmful for people with HIV positive, pregnant women (can only be applied in cases of epidemics and with prior consultation with the gynecologist), children under six months, people with immune problems such as low defenses, patients undergoing chemotherapy or have hypersensitivity to the egg.

[Uncle Doug]

I don't want to throw Betty Landis at hospice under the bus, but she asked us to share this information at this site. She just went through this process and must be visiting some of the affected areas in Colombia that you listed. She probably wasn't aware that it isn't universally required before booking her trip.

[Betty]

The start of this issue was when I booked a flight to Cali. I was told by the travel agent that COPA requires  proof of yellow fever vaccine at check-in. A friend going to MEDELLIN was told the same thing. As always, this is Panama and information is not always consistent. I just didn’t want others to end up at the airport and not be able to board their flight. So, my advice is check before you go.

[Twin Wolf Technology Group]

I can understand that a flight to Cali might be more strict on this requirement due to where it is located within the country.   Cali is at a lower elevation and is known to be very hot which is a good breeding ground for mosquitoes.    Discussions like these are a real benefit to everyone because often times information changes or is out-dated.    One of my personal pet peeves is that many articles on the Internet are not dated and that leads to confusion when things change over time.

I think the other thing that was demonstrated here was the sharing of different view points on personal choice when it comes to what each of us would select to do when something is recommended but not required.   If it makes a person pause and weigh the different points, it is of great benefit regardless of the ultimate choice each makes.   

Thank you Betty and everyone for an informative and interesting discussion.

[Moderator_02]

This topic actually began with Betty asking me to post the starting content. However, we are in travel mode and not finding much free time. Thus we asked the health care moderators (Doug and Jo) to take over.

We are quite pleased about the content and interchange of thoughts and ideas. It has been done is a constructive manner. Marcelyn and I believe CL has some of the best members on the Internet resources that support the Chiriqui highlands. Dan did a superb job of summarizing how we feel about this and similar topics here on CL.

It seems as if life in Panama is reduced to: do your own research and hopefully with resources who are in the know and authoritative. Never forget that your mileage may vary when it comes to execution time (i.e., the story can change in real time).

Thanks to all for your thoughts and contributions.

[Doug and Jo]

As of now, no certificate or Yellow Fever vaccination is required for travel to Cali.  This information is from COPA.

As with any foreign travel, it is always wise to check ahead before making final travel arrangements.

[Moderator_02]

Quote

Yellow Fever  Vaccine  for Panama WYD

Posted on December 10, 2018 in Panama

 

The   Ministry of Health (Minsa)  says that it is not an obligation  for nationals to have  a yellow fever vaccine for World Youth Day (WYD)  in Panama  , - January 22 to 27, 2019,- although It is a requirement for pilgrims from Brazil and countries in Africa, where there are active outbreaks of the disease. The cost of the vaccine is $20 for nationals and residents and $100 dollars for foreigners. The Ministry has acquired 400,000 doses.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/yellow-fever-vaccine-for-panama-wyd