Proof of vacines for CA?
 

I am on my way to Nicaragua, Costa Rica & Panama and have lost my US Dept. of health cert. with my vacine info. I have copies with me though. Will this be a problem crossing these borders? Any help would be greatly apreciated.

FF

I have been to all of those countries at least twice, crossing at land borders, and have never been asked for any proof of vaccinations.

One of the factors to consider is whether you are coming from, or have been to a country where yellow fever is present.

A couple of years back, there was one of the CA countries (Costa Rica?) that asked for the yellow fever certificate and were quite adamant about showing it to enter.

Never happened before or since on any continent, but I was coming from Africa and South America so that could have triggered their insistence on the issue. If you are coming straight from the US, then the situation sounds like it would be different. Happy riding.

I rode south from the US. Never had to present any health card, etc.

Trouble with these "I never had to present mine...." threads is that sooner or later, with or without rational reason, you'll find yourself faced with someone in uniform who demands yours. Maybe it hasn't happened yet, but I'll assure you that if you keep traveling in Africa and Latin America it will--at a border, a roadside stop, an embassy when you apply for a visa, or elsewhere. Maybe at that time you'll talk your way through, or pay a bribe. Maybe, like one guy whose story I read, you'll be forced to pay for an injection administered in an airport utility closet by a local person possessing very dubious expertise. Or not. Think of it as a choice you're making.

Then there's the entirely separate issue of whether you're prepared to contract yellow fever in the event that you pass through an endemic zone....and then perhaps pass it on to other people. Why do you suppose yellow cards and inoculation programs exist in the first place?

I know there's a way to replace lost cards, although I don't remember how it works. Why not look into this before you leave? What's to lose?

Mark

Thanks for the replies. I got a replacement from the health dept. today for $20.

Enjoy the ride,

FF

Good point, Mark. Government regulations change all the time. Better yet, you catch the wrong official on the wrong day and be left as the pawn.