Q COSTA RICA — Starting October 1, a digital vaccination certificate will be mandatory for Costa Ricans and residents traveling to eight new destinations considered at risk for yellow fever transmission.
The requirement applies to travel to Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, and French Guiana. Travelers must carry the International Certificate of Vaccination against Yellow Fever.
Automatically exempt from the requirement are anyone younger than 9 months or older than 60 years, anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, or anyone with a severe allergy to eggs or gelatin or severe immunosuppression.
The regulation stipulates that the vaccine dose must be administered at least 10 days prior to travel. Those unable to meet this timeframe must adjust their plans to ensure they have the required protection and the corresponding documentation before leaving Costa Rica.
Jennyffer González, Director of Health Surveillance, explained that the mandate applies to anyone traveling to countries or areas with a risk of transmission.
“Starting October 1, Costa Ricans and residents traveling to countries or areas at risk for yellow fever transmission must have received the vaccine at least 10 days before their trip and carry the International Certificate of Vaccination,” she stated.
The effective date was originally set for August 31. The Ministry of Health granted a one-month extension after receiving inquiries from individuals with scheduled trips who could not meet the required interval between vaccination and departure.
This change did not alter the rules those destinations already had the health requirement in place for Brazil, Colombia, Peru, or the African nations included among the at-risk territories.
Individuals planning to travel should check their vaccination status in advance and obtain the necessary proof of vaccination. The certificate can be obtained in digital format via the Ministerio de Salud (Ministry of Health) Virtual Office, the Caja’s EDUS, and Pura Vida Móvil—the app from the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications (Micitt).
González noted that yellow fever is a viral disease primarily transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Vaccination is one of the available measures to prevent it.
“Vaccination is one of the most effective preventive measures; therefore, we encourage you to check your vaccination status well in advance and take the necessary steps before traveling,” the director stated.
The Ministry of Health also recommended checking the health requirements set by the destination country before every trip.
Costa Rica requires the vaccine to prevent the virus from finding a local vector
Although yellow fever is not transmitted within Costa Rica, the country is home to the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can transmit the virus. This situation underpins the health requirement for those visiting territories where the disease is circulating.
The vaccine aims to protect the individual during their trip and reduce the risk of the virus being introduced into Costa Rica. If a traveler contracts the virus abroad and returns while infectious, a local mosquito could bite them and spread the disease.
Roberto Salvatierra, a researcher at the Universidad Hispanoamericana (UH), explained that immunization serves both purposes. “On one hand, it protects the person visiting an area where the virus is circulating,” he noted.
The specialist added that the measure also reduces the likelihood of an infected traveler bringing the virus into the country. The presence of Aedes aegypti makes it necessary to prevent this chain of transmission, even in the absence of local yellow fever cases.
The disease is transmitted in a manner similar to Dengue and Zika: through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Symptoms can include fever, general malaise, and muscle pain, although some patients develop more severe illness.
Salvatierra also noted that the infection can affect the liver and kidneys, in addition to causing multi-organ complications. Severe cases can be fatal.
The expansion of the requirement is a response to outbreaks emerging in South American countries and parts of Africa, the researcher explained.
Prevention efforts focus on stopping the virus from reaching a territory where a mosquito capable of transmitting it is already present.
How are tourists in Costa Rica affected?
Costa Rica does not have a risk of yellow fever transmission. You do not need the vaccine if you are arriving directly from a low-risk country like the United States, Canada, or most European nations.
Costa Rica requires proof of yellow fever vaccination if you’re arriving from or have recently traveled through a country where yellow fever transmission is a recognized risk.
As a tourist utilizing Costa Rica as your hub or jumping-off point, the critical issue is your return or next entry into Costa Rica after visiting a mandatory vaccination country. You will likely need the yellow fever vaccine not to enter those countries, but to get back into Costa Rica.