Hi,

We're traveling to Peru in mid May, but not going to the Amazon. Is yellow fever vaccine necessary?

I read that it's required to go to the Amazon, but a guidebook recommends that travelers should get it regardless.

Please share your experience.

Thanks.

Here's a link to what the CDC recommends. They are conservative, but yellow fever is nothing to mess with.

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationPeru.aspx

My husband and I were in Peru in Dec. and Jan. We went to Lima, Cusco, places in the Sacred Valley and of course, Machu Picchu. Prior to our trip we went to our local (Canadian) International Travel Clinic. We were told we did not need Yellow Fever for those areas (only if going into the Amazon area). The only extra shot we got was typhoid (Hep A and B, tetnus already done). We also got a prescription for Cipro, which we did not need and something for high altitude, which we also did not use.
Hope that helps...

You're probably OK without it but I'm pretty risk averse when it comes to a disease as deadly as yellow fever. The shot is good for 10 years of immunity so if you get the shot now you might benefit from it on another trip. For me the choice was easy because I will be visiting the Amazon on my Peru trip.

I got the same advice from my American Dr. as the Canadians above. Since we are only going to Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley and Macchu Picchu we did not need the Yellow Fever shot. Get the Typhoid shot and booster shots for several of the normal childhood diseases and Hep A and Hep B. I don't know how much you travel but these days they suggest you get booster on many of the childhood disease shots like Polio and MMR unless you get a blood test to prove immunity. Also of course get a Tetanus booster.

You can actually take oral typhoid pills, rather than get an injection. The advantage is the protection lasts five years rather than two. I think it's four tablets over a several day period, all done before you leave on your trip.

I'm going to Macchu Piccu and Cuzco in June. I went to a travel clinic and was told that I need hepatitis A&B, and typhoid only. This does match what I found on the CDC site as well. Areas outside of these two may require it.. checking the CDC site is great advice!