Vaccine recommendations for Argentina/Brazil
 

Travelers to Iguazu Falls - the CDC says yellow fever vaccine is recommended for travel to Misiones Province.

Does anyone know whether the recommendation holds if you're just visiting the falls, or only if you're going "out in the country"?

I would strongly encourage you to ask this question of a travel physician / infectious disease specialist, as IMO, neither yellow fever nor yellow fever vaccinations are of trivial significance. Looking at the CDC website, it certainly seems to me that the recommendation is to have the vaccine, even if visiting just the falls, but I'm no expert.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowb...-iguassu-falls

Good luck!

I pretty much agree with the above comments. YF is a serious, potentially fatal disease. I am sure many people have visited the area without any issues, but that proves nothing. Mozzies have no sense of direction or areas in which they operate and there has been an exponential increase in the incidence of YF in recent years, especially in Brazil.

Once vaccinated, you are covered for life. It seems what puts many off getting the vaccination is cost. In the U.K. it costs around £50 - $65 but I understand it costs a lot more in the US, but still probably relatively small in the context of the overall cost of your trip.

That could be true. The fact that the vaccine itself can be deadly might also be a factor. :omg:

My understanding (which could well be wrong) is that the risks of catching YF and the risks associated with the vaccination vary with all sorts of things, including the area in which one will risk exposure, the amount of time one will spend there, and one's age. As explained to me, even if one's risk of catching YF is low, if caught, the chance of dying is surprisingly high (or at least it seemed that way to me). And because the risks associated with the vaccine apparently increase with age, recommendations about whether to have it or not also vary with one's expectations about future exposure.

Please, consult a qualified medical professional!

We'll definitely consult a doctor, I was just wondering if anyone had specific experience. Since it's good for life, we'll just get it (regardless of the cost).

:tu:

Good idea. If you are in the States, better start looking around for it now as there is a serious shortage of it. I am in Connecticut and as of right now it is almost impossible to find. And remember that if you don't get it and you travel into an area that has YF, and then later (I believe most countries are 6 months) want to travel to another country that doesn't have YF, without proof of vaccination, that country will not let you enter.

Remember that the vaccine takes 10 days to kick in, so get it in plenty of time. There is a serious shortage of the vaccine worldwide (no idea why) and has impacted Chileans in a big way as so many travel to Brazil.

Also, if there are any young men in your party in the vulnerable age group, check their measles vaccination status. It is popping up again worldwide. The US based CDC always has excellent info and suggestions for travel anywhere.

Thank you. I'm on schedule to get the yellow fever vaccine next week, so that's not a problem timing-wise. We have no young men in our party (and both of us have had measles).

I am a great believer in getting vaccinated for everything going, but Just out of interest, why is it important for young men specifically, to get vaccinated for measles?

Children under 5 and adults over 20 are most at risk from complications, some of which can be severe. I have to assume that most people will monitor the vaccinations of their small children but it is important to remember that young adults, especially young men, are also at risk.

So the travel clinic told us it’s very low risk (low risk, although existing, at Iguaçu plus short duration - 2 days- in area with any risk). and they don’t even recommend we get it! Now I have no idea what to do.

I suggest accepting their advice.

What xcountry said!

As noted above, there is a real risk with the vaccine itself and the risk varies with age and other conditions. Only your doctor can estimate the relative (but known) risks of the vaccine and your likely exposure to the virus when traveling. Only you can make a decision, but with something as serious as yellow fever, I can't imagine doing anything other than what my doctor recommended.

Good luck!

What the travel clinic has told you seems at odds with the US CDC advice

"Yellow fever virus circulates in monkeys and mosquitoes in the forested regions along the Iguassu and Paraná rivers. All travelers, even those on a typical 1- to 2-day itinerary, should be vaccinated. Although requirements may change, at present neither Brazil nor Argentina requires that any travelers have an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis for yellow fever. However, because of an ongoing yellow fever outbreak in Brazil that began in 2016, health authorities have recently expanded the list of areas in which yellow fever vaccination is recommended for travelers. For the most current list, visit the CDC travel notice about the outbreak.

I don’t have a huge amount of faith in the professionalism and competency of some travel clinics, many of which are staffed by relatively inexperienced staff. Clearly some are on

Once it’s done, you will never have to worry about it ever again. If you don’t, you probably will worry about it. Vaccinations are all about possibilities not probabilities.

Same with Malaria, many choose not to take prophylactics on the basis that other have been to xyz places and didn’t get the disease- so what? That proves nothing. I contracted malaria once and, believe me, it was not a pleasant couple of weeks! YF is even more serious.

Elsewhere on the US CDC website, it notes that some people are at heightened risk for life-threatening reactions to the yellow fever vaccine, and there is a section on who should NOT get yellow fever vaccine:

"Who should not get yellow fever vaccine?

• "Anyone with a severe (life-threatening) allergy to any component of the vaccine, including eggs, chicken proteins, or gelatin, or who has had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose of yellow fever vaccine should not get yellow fever vaccine. Tell your doctor if you have any severe allergies.
• "Infants younger than 6 months of age should not get the vaccine.
• "Tell your doctor if:
  • "You have HIV/AIDS or another disease that affects the immune system.
  • "Your immune system is weakened as a result of cancer or other medical conditions, a transplant, or radiation or drug treatment (such as steroids, cancer chemotherapy, or other drugs that affect immune cell function).
  • "Your thymus has been removed or you have a thymus disorder, such as myasthenia gravis, DiGeorge syndrome, or thymoma.
  "Your doctor will help you decide whether you can receive the vaccine.
• "Adults 60 years of age and older who cannot avoid travel to a yellow fever area should discuss vaccination with their doctor. They might be at increased risk for severe problems following vaccination.
• "Infants 6 through 8 months of age, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should avoid or postpone travel to an area where there is risk of yellow fever. If travel cannot be avoided, discuss vaccination with your doctor.

Good find Kja. I would listen to the travel clinic without a second thought. My wife would declare the best two out of three if the first clinic said no to the vaccine.

Just spent 6 weeks in Northern Brazil. I got Typhoid, YF, and Hep A and B. No brainer as it's pretty rural out there.

We ended up getting the YF vaccine(already up to date on typhoid and Hep A/B). Just didn’t want to take the risk, and will travel in the future to places for which we’ll need it anyway. It’s been a week, no reaction yet at all (not even a sore arm).

Seems like you are now protected from yellow fever for life! :star: The thought that I would likely want to travel to other places where I would potentially be at risk was a deciding factor for me, too.