planningtravel

I have a flight to Nairobi from there I will travel by road to Tanzania. There is currently a shortage of the Yellow Fever vaccine where I am and I'm having a very difficult time finding a Travel Clinic with the vaccine.

Is it essential I have the Yellow Fever certificate?

From Tanzania I will return to Kenya and then fly to Hong Kong.

Any advice what to do will be appreciated.

Thanks.

traveler318

I flew from Nairobi Wilson to JRO in February, and yes, they very carefully checked our YF vaccine certs. First time I've been anywhere that someone looked at our yellow cards. Sometimes the local health department has the vaccine.

MmePerdu

In order to buy passage on a cargo ship for transit through the Suez Canal I was required by the CMA CGM shipping line to have a yellow fever vaccination. The agent suggested that, instead, I get a letter from my physician that I couldn't have it for medical reasons. That's what I did.

However, it may be an issue for you when you leave, as many countries require proof of vaccination on entry for those who've spent time in sub-Saharan Africa. A friend got his in Nairobi on his way to Kilimanjaro.

MmePerdu

I might also mention that I received my last typhoid booster at a clinic in Bali. The cost was a small fraction of what it would have been had I gotten it in the US. I suspect your yellow fever shot will be significantly less expensive in Africa.

bandiroot

When we visited Tanzania in 2013, we were asked to present the yellow cards at the airport in Arusha. Good thing we had our shots before we left. Some passengers on our flight who could not present proof of vaccination were asked to stand aside for further processing. I strongly siggest to get vaccinated before you leave.

MmePerdu

Could "further processing" mean that they were given their shots then & there? That's one solution, especially if, as the OP seems to say, they can't find them at home.