vaccinations

Captain bligh

I have discussed and evaluated CDC website re: yellow fever vaccination and cannot find anything definitive re: obtaining this injections. My physician said NO for the Peru and Incas and especially discussed the side effects of the preventative vaccination. As you all know, required and recommended are very different animals. Tauck also will not comment on the definitive need of the yellow fever vaccination for the tour March 30, 2016 but leaned toward no. Comments?

British

Several points to think about here. First, Tauck has updated their forum participation guidelines to discourage discussion about whether to have or not have vaccinations. Second, I am very surprised that Tauck would make any comment at all about whether to have the Yellow fever vaccination or not, unless the person you spoke to was specifically qualified in tropical medicine and knew all your medical history. Third, I have not looked at this tour because I am unlikely to take it. Fourth, I had a Yellow fever vaccination almost ten years ago and have visited several countries since then that do require a Yellow fever certificate. I have never been asked to produce it, but there have been several forum participants in the past who have been asked to produce their certificates on entry into a country. Fifth, as soon as the New year comes around, I'll be getting my next Yellow fever vaccine because I will be visiting yet another country that has the potential for me to contract Yellow fever, or possibly be refused entry into the county if I do not have a current certificate. Sixth, if I was refused entry after paying so much for a vacation I have been very much looking forward to, I'd be really annoyed with myself because Tauck makes it clear they are not responsible for people not having the correct vaccination certificates. Seventh, I love to read research and I am fully aware that there has been some discussion by experts in this field that it is unlikely that a second vaccine is required because no one who has had at least one Yellow fever vaccine, even though it was after ten years and they came into contact with the disease, has ever contracted it, so in other words, a second vaccine may not be necessary, but the guidelines remain the same at present. Phew, there is my comment!

joycesw

We have had the yellow fever vaccinations (for an African trip) even though our ages allow us to opt out. And, we were asked to show our proof of vaccination cards before entering the terminal at Arusha. We had absolutely no side effects from it. In fact, many of the other vaccinations we have had for the more exotic trips have taken left us with sore arms for days. We are of the mind to be more proactive rather than reactive. We have Kaiser HMO and go along with the recommendations of their travel clinic. To be more specific to your South American trip ( we took the Peru / Galapagos trip) there was no recommendation for a Yellow Fever shot for Peru. What we did not plan for on our trip in Peru was altitude medication. Husband was fine, me not so much. Not sure why another thousand feet ( from what I had previously experienced) threw me, but I sure wish I had been more proactive there! Thank goodness for our traveling companions who had a fully stocked pharmaceutical cabinet! I will never go above ten thousand feet without being prepared..again, the whole idea about being proactive rather than reactive.