Yellow Fever Vaccination
 

What's the situation with yellow fever vaccinations?

Here's my long story short.....I was vaccinated 11 years ago but have lost the cert. You used to have to get the vaccination every ten years but the WHO declared two years ago that the one time vaccination is good for life WHO | Yellow fever vaccination booster not needed

I could possibly have my Irish doctor re-do the cert and have it posted, but are African consuls/border officials likely to be up to speed with this WHO announcement or will they be looking for something from the last ten years?

Alternatively I have a fake cert obtained in Nouakchott. However, the booklet is red, not yellow, which looks suspect (I think) and I read an article from Nigeria which stated that the govt there (at least) is fighting the fake certs which are rife and that they're easy to spot because they always come with cholera certs too (which mine does). Any experience on this?

Alternatively, I have a real booklet without a stamp but a doctors stamp for Hep A. Are consuls (I presume not border officials) going to understand the codes if I fill in the appropriate sections with the same details as in another guy's cert?

And finally, am I correct to say that Ghanaian consulates at least (if not others) are likely to want to see this cert before issuing a visa?

Steve,

As per my previous post, it is usually the Ivorians and Ghanaians who ask for the certificate (though just as often they do not ask for it, you just never know). I remember being asked for it once coming into Burkina Faso from Ivory Coast also.

I can't say for sure but I doubt the officials will be up to speed with the 10 year rule being changed.

It usually is just a cursory check, I doubt any officer will pay much attention to the certificate and its authenticity. Though I personally have never seen a red one. I think usually green or yellow from memory?

I haven't managed to get a Ghana visa at an embassy in the region for about 6 years, I always get it in advance in London now. Some people get it in Ouagadougou without too much hassle. Not sure if they will ask to see the certificate or not. I don't remember them asking for it in the past.

Hi,

The attached table shows my experience regarding the requirement for yellow fever certificate at borders and embassies in West Africa during the past 11 months. It may vary between different embassies and borders posts though.

I had my yellow fever jab done in 2014 in Sweden and the certificate is valid for 10 years.

Perhaps the easiest thing to do is to go to a local hospital and have it done. You'd get both the protection and the certificate.

Good luck.

I was working in Ivory coast and when i landed there was a doctor walking up and down the passport control line with a white jacket on pulling people out the line and if they did not have the yellow fever cert they had the option to pay for this injection on the spot to be taken into an adjacent room and get it there and then.

I never had a cert at the time as it was my first visit (never knew) so got pulled into a room but i just ended up paying for this cert with out getting the injection its self as i decided maybe its more a money making exercise rather than a health screen. That was in 2006

Another one to be aware of is meningitis.

If you enter the north of Ivory Coast, more often than not they ask to see your proof of vaccination. This is an area (along with western Burkina Faso) that has regular flare ups of the disease. At the main border going north of Korhogo they always have a Doctor on duty who usually asks for evidence that you have been vaccinated.

Thanks. Great info. I forgot to mention that I have a medical condition (M.E./C.F.S) and yellow fever is one of two vaccinations which carries a serious risk of serious health effects. I'll sooner be deported than take an injection. Especially as I have the bloody thing already!