QCOSTARICA — Traveling to Costa Rica from Colombia, Peru and other countries considered at risk for yellow fever transmission who are not properly vaccinated will not be allowed to board the plane to Costa Rica.
This also includes Costa Ricans visiting those countries.
This was stated on Tuesday by Costa Rica’s Vice President and Minister of Health Dr. Mary Munive, after an expansion of the list of nations requiring vaccination went into effect.
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“Article 8 of Decree 39997-S-G-SP-RE states that travel agencies, as well as all persons who provided or sold you the airline ticket, ie airlines, must have verified these requirements. If for any reason they determine that you do not meet these requirements, you will not be able to board the flight that will bring you to Costa Rica,” the official stated in a video circulated by her press office.
Munive confirmed last week that the relevant notifications have been sent to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) so that each airline can verify this requirement.
It’s worth noting that the yellow fever requirement has been in place for nine years, but it’s the risk countries and the immigration behavior of their nationals that has changed.
However, Munive acknowledged that she doesn’t know why, although the requirement has existed for some time, it wasn’t required under current regulations.
From this Tuesday onward, Costa Ricans or any other traveler coming from risky countries without the proper certificate will not be allowed entry into Costa Rica. Important to note, the vaccination and the certificate has to be issued at least 10 days prior to travel to Costa Rica.
The complication for Costa Ricans and travelers from Costa Rica who want to visit these countries and then return is the lack of vaccines in the country. That is, they cannot get vaccinated in Costa Rica prior to their travel. Travelers have the option to get their vaccination in the visiting country, as long as the 10-day requirement is met.
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This includes foreigners currently in Costa Rica who are planning to visit one or more countries on the list and then come back to Costa Rica.
The 11 South American countries on the list are Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The other 33 countries are mainly from Africa. For the complete list visit the Ministerio de Salud website.
Vaccine shortage in Costa Rica
Dr. Munive has confirmed that currently Costa Rica has the yellow fever vaccine shortage, forcing the Ministry of Health to relax the requirement, announcing on Wednesday that the country will allow entry to people who have been vaccinated against yellow fever abroad, even if they have not met the 10-day after inoculation period.
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In a press release, the Ministry of Health said: “The measure will be valid until international vaccine availability conditions improve and the country regains adequate access to the supply necessary to comply with current regulation.”
Free yellow fever vaccination in Colombia
In Colombia, a country established as high-risk and favorite destination for Costa Ricans, yellow fever vaccines are free. The country has 3,000 vaccination centers set up throughout the country for their administration
Colombia’s Ministry of Health explained through its press office that its Expanded Immunization Program (PAI) provides protection through vaccination “for all persons living or transiting through Colombian territory.” You can see them in the table below.
This is true regardless of nationality, affiliation with the health system, or immigration status in Colombia.
For information on yellow fever vaccination centers in Colombia, you can visit the Ministry of Health and Social Protection website.
Among these immunization centers, El Dorado International Airport (BOG) in Bogotá stands out; it is the most important in the country and Latin America.
Exceptions to the yellow fever vaccination include
Exceptions to the yellow fever vaccination include:
- Children under 9 months of age
- Severe egg allergy
- Immunosuppression
- Current or previous thymic disease
- People 60 years of age or older
- Pregnant women and/or breastfeeding
- Hypersensitivity to gelatin
- Asymptomatic HIV infection
Those who cannot be vaccinated due to a medical contraindication must present a medical certificate (not an epicrisis) issued by a professional, explaining the compelling reasons that prevent vaccination.
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