Traveling to Iquitos - Yellow Fever Vaccination?

The vaccinations in the Lima airport won't work for you, because the reccomendation is 10 days before you enter a yellow fever prone area. So it would be ineffective. And you can be asked for proof of the vaccine by the immigration authorities. I doubt they'd send anyone back to their home country without it though.

Thanks for the reply! So even though the CDC says the vaccination is not recommended and not required, I could still be asked for proof by the authorities?

The vaccination isn't necessary. I've been to Iquitos three separate times--once I was deep in the jungle 2 months. The other times were shorter trips with more time spent in Iquitos. I never was vaccinated. I'd definitely bring the bug spray, especially if you're eating on the malecon, but I wouldn't fret about yellow fever.

If you're super concerned about contracting malaria or something, you can talk to your doc about tablets. But like I said, 3 days isn't that long. Just wear bug spray and some longer pants if you're super concerned and you'll be fine.

Just because catscatscats played Russian roulette and survived, does not mean you should try the same game. Travel to tropical jungles sensibly requires a YF shot, appriopriate Malaria pills for the area and other common sense precautions. Period.

The two month long trip was sponsored by my university. We were required to take pills for malaria. The second time I went back was with the same university. We were required to take malaria pills. YF wasn't required either time. but yeah I was a dummy playing russian roulette ok.

catcatcats - am very grateful to find your post. Am traveling to Iquitos in two weeks for a 4 day cruise. Had an appointment today at a place that specializes in travel immunizations, and was very surprised that they would not give me the yellow fever injection. The reason is that I had a rare form of lung cancer 8 years ago (it was resolved through surgery without chemo or radiation). They claimed that meant I was immunocompromised and said that they would provide a medical waiver for the yellow fever vaccination, although they did give me Hep A and Typhoid, a script for the malaria pills and a Z-pack in case I pick up a bug. I don't think of myself as being any different nor am I on steroids, so I was unhappy to feel like I have to risk getting yellow fever. I have the bug spray and also the spray for my clothes, so hopefully I will return just as healthy as I left. Looking forward to my trip again!

I don't want to cause alarm, however...

14% people who have initial symptoms of YF subsequently develop the severe form of the disease - 30-60% of these people die.

Do everything you can to avoid being bitten - this will help avoid malaria, zika, chikungunya, and dengue as well.

Thank you, alanymarce. I contacted the office of the oncologist who treated me and they said that I am not considered to be immunocompromised after all and they wrote me an ok for the vaccination. Now, I'm trying to get an appointment to get the vaccination asap so that it has enough time to take effect before my trip. Whew!

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