Is Yellow Fever Vaccination necessary for Zimbabwe/S. Africa
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Is Yellow Fever Vaccination necessary for Zimbabwe/S. Africa
We are starting our shots, etc for trip to S. Africa 2/2012, also planning on 3 days at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. I've read the CDC reports on the requirements for YF vaccination for both
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Cat:Middle East and AfricaForum:0EE6B362
Cat:Middle East and AfricaForum:0EE6B362Discussion:9acac62b-2509-4504-943f-0656d5253b91
We are starting our shots, etc for trip to S. Africa 2/2012, also planning on 3 days at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. I've read the CDC reports on the requirements for YF vaccination for both countries and since we have a direct flight from US to JNB and will be traveling thru SA, Swaziland and flying from CPT to JNB then on to VF I don't think we will need the shot?? I was concerned just how strict or difficult they can be at the borders?? Thanks for your thoughts.
There are a number of Frommers discussions on this subject. Type "yellow fever" into the Community Forums Search box above for links to other discussion threads and government websites.
If you are traveling directly from the US to an African country, no vaccination is necessary. It also appears that traveling form South Africa to Zimbabwe does not seem to trigger the requirement.
My understanding is that you need the vaccination if you come from an endemic area of Yellow Fever in Africa to South Africa. I believe that Victoria Falls (Zambia/Zimbabwe) falls under this umbrella so you would need vaccination certificate when you return to Jo'burg from V. Falls.
We are also flying from V. Falls to Jo'burg, and have been advised to have the certificate, although we will be spending a few days there and not just transiting thru.
Darren Humphreys is a local expert on this. I hope he can provide more feedback if he reads this.
Yes. As others have stated, if you go to Victoria Falls, Zambia first and then to South Africa, you will need a Yellow Fever vaccination and they definitely will require it. We just got back 4 days ago and we had to have the yellow fever vaccination proof. It is my understanding that if you try to enter without it, they will require you to take it at the border and may quarantine you. Also, (I'm from the US) we were told that if we got past all of that we could/would be quarantined when we got home for up to 90 days. We decided to go with the flow and get it. Our travel meds doctor told us we can get a second shot in a couple of months and it will then be for life.
While we are referring to Zambia/South Africa requirements, Zimbabwe may not be in the malaria zone. The key there is CDC/WHO has a malaria zone map which is what they go by according to our travel meds doctor. Now, I don't know if you don't plan to visit the Zambia side of the falls, or how you're flying in and those are key factors I believe. If you don't plan to go into Zambia either at the falls or the airport landing, it could change things. I think many people do fly in via Zambia though. Check the CDC map.
My apologies for the late response, mjanicem. I've been fortunate enough to have been guiding a safari the past six weeks through Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabawe, that included a day's visit into Zambia to do a walking safari. The holiday route you have mentioned doesn't include Zambia, so there's no requirement for you to be vaccinated against Yellow Fever (YFV). South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe are all listed as free of Yellow Fever. You will only need to consider the YFV should you visit the Zambian side of Victoria Falls. Even if you only venture into Zambia for a day's visit, the ensuing immigration stamp in your passport (you have to 'depart' Zimbabwe and 'enter' Zambia to see the Falls from the Zambian side of the Zambezi River) will mean that you should be vaccinated against Yellow Fever. Whether the South African or U.S. immigration officials notice the Zambian stamp in your passport is another thing (S.A. immigration didn't when I returned last week), but it's perhaps not worth taking the risk. You may well wish to view the Falls from the Zambian side when you visit in 2/2012, as this is the time of "high water" when the river is at its highest level from the summer rains. During this time, the view of the Falls from the Zimbawean side can often be obscured due to the sky-high cloud of mist and spray, whereas the Zambian side offers viewpoints that are less obscured.
