DRDDOG64. I think this is what you mean. It is not that Yellow fever is necessarily in Tanzania and Kenya right now, it is that the vaccine is required to enter some countries.
We asked our doctor for his recommendations. He gave us the shots he could give us and sent us to Passport health to get the rest of the shots he recommended. My recommendation is always...ask your personal physician and proceed from there.
Check with your county health department (if you are in the USA). The yellow fever vaccine cost us about half of the price we were quoted by the commercial travel clinic.
My husband and I are going on the Classic Safari, Kenya and Tanzania, in June, 2025. I was told over the telephone that they do not recommend the Yellow Fever vaccine for anyone over 65 years old and that we could get an exemption. Has anyone gotten an exemption and had any trouble getting into the countries?
@Fran8 - I'm a good bit over 65. Before we went to Africa I got exemption letters for myself and my wife from Costco. Costco has a service that you have to pay for ($40, if I remember correctly), and they will recommend the vaccines for your trip, and give you an exemption letter if you're too old for the yellow fever vaccine.
You go to a website that they direct you to and answer a lot of questions. Your responses are reviewed by ?doctor, ?nurse and you get their recommendations. Costco will give you the vaccines and provide you the letters.
No one here has mentioned trouble getting into these countries. However, if there is an outbreak of Yellow Fever before you go, they will require you to get the vaccine from them and possibly wait until it is deemed effective, can’t recall how long that is. I also understand that you have to have a new exemption certificate every time you go to the countries that require it.
I’m unclear who told you over the phone that it is not recommended for those over 65, was it a doctor who knows your health record. Many people who use the forum have been over 65 and have gotten the vaccine. If you do the research, you will find the science that says the risks are very small depending on your health situation.
Myself and others here have been asked to show the certificate to enter other countries, oh I think one guy was asked to show his going into Kenya.
If you are going in June, it’s really late to be thinking about vaccines anyway, some types require two or three shots over a course of several months.
We got our Yellow Fever vaccines many years ago and we visit quite a few countries that require it.
British - I’m unclear who told you over the phone that it is not recommended for those over 65, was it a doctor who knows your health record. Many people who use the forum have been over 65 and have gotten the vaccine.
The CDC recommends that people over 65 not receive the yellow fever vaccine.
As a follow up, the UK website has different recommendations, age 60 is mentioned. Here is part of a website that also explains about the medical exemption certificate
We went to Zambia Botswana and South Africa in 2017;We were required to get Y F vaccine to enter Zambia.Both of us got exemptions at Passport clinic based on age as well as taking immunosuppressive medications (my husband was taking).At that time I had just turned 65 and they did explain risk benefit ratio does not favor taking it.Fast forward this year,PCP told my husband he could stop the one medication that was immunosuppressant for a few days after the vaccination so as not to interfere with the vaccination.Both of us got it and had minimal side effects.Age restriction is arbitrary as I understand.
We are going in July - both 70 - we weighed options, and although they said to use caution over 65, getting yellow fever doesn't seem very palatable either - we both got the shots May 1st (it's a one and done) - they give you your "yellow card" - we had a slight fever, a little headache, and other than that we were fine. They did suggest NOT getting it if you are immuno-compromised. There is a very small risk of severe reactions but it's really small.
I wish I had read this before going to Passport Health. We are going on Classic Safari K+T in July.My wife, ever the careful one, went along with all their recommendations and 3200 later we are all vaxxed up. The good news for Tauck is that means we gonna have to take another trip to get our moneys worth :-)
I am all for Passport clinic!May be a it more expensive but they are trained and give a comprehensive service.We are less than five minutes from one; They covered everything: Yellow fever ,Polio ,Meningitis and others that needed boosters such as T DAP.Cost us about 2000;that included 2YFvaccines.I guess for us the convenience and time saved was more important.We still have Malaria pills from pharmacy which we are not taking because we cancelled our trip in the last minute for medical reason.Still good for next years trip we rebooked!
Unfortunately only limited Costco stores have Yellow fever vaccine.Not sure about Medicare coverage.It is unlikely that it covers this.We didn’t even try!
You are allowed to go to Passport Health and pay for the consultation which is not that much for all the information required for third world countries, and then go to Walgreens or Costco and get all the vaccines Passport Heath recommends. It’s that simple. I like to spend my 2,000.00 other ways.
We used Costco for yellow fever and several other shots that were recommended. Yellow fever, typhoid, and cholera were not covered by insurance but were about $600 in total. I did get some others that were covered fully. The whole process was super easy at Costco and I would absolutely recommend them if your Costco offers this service.
Passport health makes recommendations; you certainly have the option to elsewhere to get the shots recommended by them .We did not have the option of Costco or Walgreens near us.Again even if we spend more convenience was the more important factor for us!
Comments
DRDDOG64. I think this is what you mean. It is not that Yellow fever is necessarily in Tanzania and Kenya right now, it is that the vaccine is required to enter some countries.
We asked our doctor for his recommendations. He gave us the shots he could give us and sent us to Passport health to get the rest of the shots he recommended. My recommendation is always...ask your personal physician and proceed from there.
We got ours at Costco. You must schedule online.
Check with your county health department (if you are in the USA). The yellow fever vaccine cost us about half of the price we were quoted by the commercial travel clinic.
Also check with your local hospital and/or medical center. Many have immunization clinics
My husband and I are going on the Classic Safari, Kenya and Tanzania, in June, 2025. I was told over the telephone that they do not recommend the Yellow Fever vaccine for anyone over 65 years old and that we could get an exemption. Has anyone gotten an exemption and had any trouble getting into the countries?
@Fran8 - I'm a good bit over 65. Before we went to Africa I got exemption letters for myself and my wife from Costco. Costco has a service that you have to pay for ($40, if I remember correctly), and they will recommend the vaccines for your trip, and give you an exemption letter if you're too old for the yellow fever vaccine.
You go to a website that they direct you to and answer a lot of questions. Your responses are reviewed by ?doctor, ?nurse and you get their recommendations. Costco will give you the vaccines and provide you the letters.
And to finish. No problems entering any of the countries that we went to in Africa. If you want to see the countries we went to, go to https://www.mikeandjudytravel.com/2023-3Barcelona-CapeTown-01.htm
No one here has mentioned trouble getting into these countries. However, if there is an outbreak of Yellow Fever before you go, they will require you to get the vaccine from them and possibly wait until it is deemed effective, can’t recall how long that is. I also understand that you have to have a new exemption certificate every time you go to the countries that require it.
I’m unclear who told you over the phone that it is not recommended for those over 65, was it a doctor who knows your health record. Many people who use the forum have been over 65 and have gotten the vaccine. If you do the research, you will find the science that says the risks are very small depending on your health situation.
Myself and others here have been asked to show the certificate to enter other countries, oh I think one guy was asked to show his going into Kenya.
If you are going in June, it’s really late to be thinking about vaccines anyway, some types require two or three shots over a course of several months.
We got our Yellow Fever vaccines many years ago and we visit quite a few countries that require it.
The CDC recommends that people over 65 not receive the yellow fever vaccine.
Not true Mike, it says use caution after age 60 as below
https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-fever/vaccine/index.html
Caution is often stated for many vaccines and medicines.
As a follow up, the UK website has different recommendations, age 60 is mentioned. Here is part of a website that also explains about the medical exemption certificate
https://nathnacyfzone.org.uk/factsheet/6/medical-letter-of-exemption
We went to Zambia Botswana and South Africa in 2017;We were required to get Y F vaccine to enter Zambia.Both of us got exemptions at Passport clinic based on age as well as taking immunosuppressive medications (my husband was taking).At that time I had just turned 65 and they did explain risk benefit ratio does not favor taking it.Fast forward this year,PCP told my husband he could stop the one medication that was immunosuppressant for a few days after the vaccination so as not to interfere with the vaccination.Both of us got it and had minimal side effects.Age restriction is arbitrary as I understand.
We are going in July - both 70 - we weighed options, and although they said to use caution over 65, getting yellow fever doesn't seem very palatable either - we both got the shots May 1st (it's a one and done) - they give you your "yellow card" - we had a slight fever, a little headache, and other than that we were fine. They did suggest NOT getting it if you are immuno-compromised. There is a very small risk of severe reactions but it's really small.
Exactly! Good for you!
I’m over 65 - got the YF vaccine, no issue. My doctor did recommend it as well as the Typhoid vaccine, of course.
I wish I had read this before going to Passport Health. We are going on Classic Safari K+T in July.My wife, ever the careful one, went along with all their recommendations and 3200 later we are all vaxxed up. The good news for Tauck is that means we gonna have to take another trip to get our moneys worth :-)
Oh boy did you get fleeeced! Most are covered by Medicare.
I am all for Passport clinic!May be a it more expensive but they are trained and give a comprehensive service.We are less than five minutes from one; They covered everything: Yellow fever ,Polio ,Meningitis and others that needed boosters such as T DAP.Cost us about 2000;that included 2YFvaccines.I guess for us the convenience and time saved was more important.We still have Malaria pills from pharmacy which we are not taking because we cancelled our trip in the last minute for medical reason.Still good for next years trip we rebooked!
A good alternate is the Costco Pharmacy. Probably be less expensive, also.
if you can afford $2000, then of course no problem. But if you have Medicare everything except maybe Yellow fever is covered.
Unfortunately only limited Costco stores have Yellow fever vaccine.Not sure about Medicare coverage.It is unlikely that it covers this.We didn’t even try!
You are allowed to go to Passport Health and pay for the consultation which is not that much for all the information required for third world countries, and then go to Walgreens or Costco and get all the vaccines Passport Heath recommends. It’s that simple. I like to spend my 2,000.00 other ways.
We used Costco for yellow fever and several other shots that were recommended. Yellow fever, typhoid, and cholera were not covered by insurance but were about $600 in total. I did get some others that were covered fully. The whole process was super easy at Costco and I would absolutely recommend them if your Costco offers this service.
Passport health makes recommendations; you certainly have the option to elsewhere to get the shots recommended by them .We did not have the option of Costco or Walgreens near us.Again even if we spend more convenience was the more important factor for us!