Yellow Fever Vaccination - Tanzania/Kenya Classic Safari
Yellow Fever Vaccination - Tanzania/Kenya Classic Safari
My wife and I are booked on the Tanzania/Kenya Classic Safari starting September 27, 2017. We are from Vancouver, B.C. Canada.
My key issue query is the Yellow Fever Vaccination. For medical reasons, neither my wife or I are able to get the HF vaccination, and our vaccination booklet has a separate page inserted from the travel med clinic stating that for medical/heath reasons we cannot take the vaccine.
The query is what impact the exemption from the YF vaccine will have "on the ground" in Kenya and Tanzania. The CDC site for Tanzania says it is not "recommended",unless coming from a country where YF is endemic. However, Tanzania authorities, including airlines within the country, frequently request proof of a HF vaccine, especially is someone is arriving from Kenya.
The Tauck trip we are taking starts in Tanzania and ends in Kenya and does not go back to Tanzania. However, we are planning to take a post safari trip to Zanzibar for 4 days. Flying from Nairobi at the end of the safari to Dar Es Salaam by Kenya Air and then Coastal Air from Dar to Zanzibar and back to Dar. Then a KLM flight from Dar to Amsterdam.
The issue is flying from Kenya to Tanzania without a YF vaccine. It is not known if the exemption form for "medical reasons" will suffice. If we have to abort the Zanzibar post safari add-on out of precaution of avoid any hassle, we will do so.
Anyone have any constructive feedback or experience on the above YF vaccine exemption issue?
Thanks very much.
My wife and I are booked on the Tanzania/Kenya Classic Safari starting September 27, 2017. We are from Vancouver, B.C. Canada.
My key issue query is the Yellow Fever Vaccination. For medical reasons, neither my wife or I are able to get the HF vaccination, and our vaccination booklet has a separate page inserted from the travel med clinic stating that for medical/heath reasons we cannot take the vaccine.
The query is what impact the exemption from the YF vaccine will have "on the ground" in Kenya and Tanzania. The CDC site for Tanzania says it is not "recommended",unless coming from a country where YF is endemic. However, Tanzania authorities, including airlines within the country, frequently request proof of a HF vaccine, especially is someone is arriving from Kenya.
The Tauck trip we are taking starts in Tanzania and ends in Kenya and does not go back to Tanzania. However, we are planning to take a post safari trip to Zanzibar for 4 days. Flying from Nairobi at the end of the safari to Dar Es Salaam by Kenya Air and then Coastal Air from Dar to Zanzibar and back to Dar. Then a KLM flight from Dar to Amsterdam.
The issue is flying from Kenya to Tanzania without a YF vaccine. It is not known if the exemption form for "medical reasons" will suffice. If we have to abort the Zanzibar post safari add-on out of precaution of avoid any hassle, we will do so.
Anyone have any constructive feedback or experience on the above YF vaccine exemption issue?
Thanks very much.
0
Comments
Zanzibar--- I have taken both the K and T tour and the Tanzania to Zanzibar tour with Tauck. Zanzibar is interesting for sure, but not necessarily a must see location and the couple of days that Tauck gives to the island is enough. The Dar Es Salem airport requires that you go through multiple, yes multiple security lines for your return flight. We flew business class back from there to Amsterdam and even the business class lounge is grim, we saw cockroaches on the food in there, just as an example of the general facilities. After the k and T tour, you will be pretty tired, doing Zanzibar on your own may be exhausting by then.
Here are my suggestions, having taken 4 of the 5 Safari tours that Tauck offers. Tanzania safaris remain for us, the most rewarding in terms of an all round Safari experience with plenty of animal viewings. It is also a more economical trip. If you have never been to Africa before, I can tell you right now that as long as you have the health and money, you will want to return to Africa, so why not do the Tanzania- Zanzibar tour next time, which is what we did, re-living the best of the K and T tour and experiencing a little of Zanzibar, which we thought was enough, but at least Tauck will be doing the planning for you. You are Canadians, so I know you do lots more vacations than Americans tend to do. We intend taking the Tauck Bridges tour of Tanzania in the future because of all the safaris, it represents the best all over Safari viewing. You will love your trip to K and T.
We have been re-considering with another couple -(friends - who are travelling with us),whether to chop out the Zanzibar post safari portion. and just depart from Nairobi after the Taulk trip is over and make appropriate flight modifications. We are weighing the pros and cons based on more in-depth research and candid feedback from others who have been to Zanzibar. My wife and I are continuing on to Europe for another 3 weeks of travel. We lose the Kenya flight and Coastal Air flight cost incurred in this modified scenario, but in the bigger financial picture it is not a big deal.
On your query about the YF vaccination exemption. We did consider the options, including taking a fractionated vaccination. Due to the world wide shortage of YF vaccine that occurs from time to time. It is 25% of the full lifetime dose, and lasts for a year. Four people have to be scheduled to take the shot at the same time.
My wife (who is 63) had ovarian cancer 9 years ago and is now in perfect health. She had an opportunity to travel to Kenya on a 2 week guided safari at the last minute with her cousin 7 years ago. My wife's oncologist suggested that for a variety of medical reasons, she should not take the YF vaccination, so she got an exemption and is continuing that approach.
I assiduously read all the medical literature including CDC website on any travel med I might be taking and assess the risk/reward and pros and cons benefit of the med over the statistical incidence of a tourist contracting a mosquito borne disease. After reading about the potential risk of a YF vaccination at my tender age, I decided to get the medical exemption, and take all the prudent precautions to attempt to avoid mosquito bites. Apparently, the YF risk is potentially higher in Kenya then Tanzania according to the CDC website. In retrospect, having just a Tanzania safari trip from a YF perspective, might have been a better choice for my needs, but I am going with the classic Tanzania/Kenya safari and looking forward to it!
As an aside, South Africa is not in the YF zone!
Thanks again.
When I talked of the Yellow fever vaccine, I mentioned Botswana, not South Africa. Botswana remains about the only country that demands people have repeat vaccinations for Yellow fever after ten years. I hope they change it so it is in line with other countries, if they don't, I am going to have to have another booster before I visit there.