www.CostaRicaTicas.com

As some may know, I recently had a problem (I was denied) re-entering Costa Rica from Colombia because I did not have proof of yellow fever innoculation. I can blame no one but myself.
Anyways, I am back in the states for a bit and called my local Health Dept. inquiring about the shot. The ethnic nurse (Beeyotch) I spoke with on the phone kept asking me about my travels and insisting I get everything from Typhoid to flu shots, in addition to yellow fever. I just wanted the yellow fever shot, thank you very much......
My question is: can I get my innoculation in Costa Rica? I have gotten other shots there. Just went to farmacia, talked to the doc and got my shot......facíl.

_________________
Bring on the dancin' girls and put the champagne on ice. -Bon Scott

Costa Rica: We make easy, hard........

Hoe Dog koo koo ka choo

Unless things have changes since they started requiring the shot the answer is NO. You have to go to the Ministry of Health.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Since when has yellow fever shots been required to enter Costa Rica? The state department said these shots are only needed if you are going to be in the Lemon area where yellow fever is a problem. Leaving for Costa Rica on saturday, do not have this shot.

I need the shot to enter Costa Rica from Colombia, or Ecuador.

_________________
Bring on the dancin' girls and put the champagne on ice. -Bon Scott

Costa Rica: We make easy, hard........

Hoe Dog koo koo ka choo

AS ID says, you go to the Ministry of Health first, Fill out some papers and then "muy tico"...they send you to some guy on the street to buy a stamp. Then to a pharmacia for shot and back to Ministry for the documentation. I'm not sure of the order of requirements but they will tell you.
Not hard and a lot cheaper than in the US.

_________________
Why Chicas Come to CostaRica:

"Predators gather where prey abounds"

The Govt. of Costa Rica mandates documentation of this "shot" in order to enter/re-enter CR AFTER you have been in Columbia and certain other countries:

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirement to Enter Costa Rica
The Costa Rican government instituted a requirement that starting on November 1st, 2007, persons traveling to Costa Rica from certain countries in South America and Sub-Sahara Africa must have an International Certificate of Vaccination against Yellow Fever. Those affected countries are: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, French Guiana and Venezuela.

http://www.costarica-embassy.org/

It's their country; their laws....May I suggest a nice "side" trip to Benin? I expect you can purchase a piece of trim there at a BARGAIN rate!! Let's not leave out Gambia or even better Angola!! Man, those chicas in that part of the world are stunning.....simply stunning....!!!!

_________________
"Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the over-compensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand."
- Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, Ch. 16

Just went through this with my novia.

First, visit Clinica Biblica & pay for the innoculation. Very simple, no appt. necessary. As I recall it was about $25 or so. (I think I was quoted $130 or so in the US). Just ask at the front desk & thy'll show you to the innoculations department.

Next, visit the Ministerio de Salud with the documents (and empty vaccine carton) from Clinica Biblica. They will process it & give you a card. Cost: Zero. Note that this can take a few days.

Returned from MDE on April 4th. We both had our cards. They didn't ask for them! [bastards!!]. I also heard that only foreigners need them, so maybe because I entered with my novia through the locals line I wasn't asked. Also, in my case anyway, I've had my passport a little over two years & have already added pages, so I don't know how easy it would be for them to put 2 & 2 together. After all, our connecting flight was PTY.

Bottom line - I recommend you get it; just visit Clinica Biblica & they'll have you in & out in 20 minutes.


/dddick

They asked for my documentation, in MDE. I was told it was nothing to do with the Colombians. Totally Costa Rica. (and I was connecting in PTY)
Kind of like when they demand you have a round trip ticket when you leave the states. Which makes no sense. What if you are leaving CR and heading elsewhere? Muy Tico.

_________________
Bring on the dancin' girls and put the champagne on ice. -Bon Scott

Costa Rica: We make easy, hard........

Hoe Dog koo koo ka choo

Take this posting with a grain of salt...

A couple traveling from Columbia to Costa Rica were required to receive innoculations in Columbia before traveling to San Jose. They received the innoculations in a manner like mass innoculations. Both remained sick. The wife had jaundice, and eventually died upon returning to the States.

Now the caveat...they both drank like fishes...they were nicknamed, "The Smirnoff Twins". I attended an exam by a doc who thought it was due to drinking.

Be careful on where you get innoculations. Gamma Gobulin, an immune system booster given for resistence to Hep A had Hep C virus in batches produced by Baxter Scientific in the 90's. Clinica Biblica and places with good reps are reliable.

I'm getting it in the states in 2 weeks from a local doctor using insurance. My insurance covers all vaccinations (incl travel), so it'll cost me $30.

This doctor specializes in travel vaccination and he will give some kind of paper showing I had it done.

I'm travelling in August. What exactly do I need him to give me to not have any issues returning to Costa Rica from MDE?

There is a yellow CDC form you will receive with dates of your innoculations. All you NEED is that form with proof of Yellow Fever vaccination to enter CR from Colombia. I'd have your passport too. LOL.
The only place I could get my shots was at county Health Dept.
If you are getting that, you might as well get: Typhoid, Hep A, B &Cas well as having current Tetanus.
For what it is worth, my ass was dragging for about ten days after the YF shot. I guess we gotta do what we gotta do.....
Enjoy MDE, Amigo!

_________________
Bring on the dancin' girls and put the champagne on ice. -Bon Scott

Costa Rica: We make easy, hard........

Hoe Dog koo koo ka choo

A friend here was able to get everything done in the same day, but said that it needed to be done 10 days before departure/return to Costa Rica. Another friend has denied boarding on Taca for not having the innoculation.

Got the YF shot a month ago at a local doctor's office ("travel medicine") in the US. He also suggested typhoid, so he gave me that too. My total cost $30, the insurance copay. (They would cost me $240 together.)

YF is good for 10 yrs, typhoid for 2 years. Does that sound right?

Is it only required if you are going to Costa Rica from Colombia directly or if you've been in Colombia at all?. In other words if I go to Colombia in Sept. and then go to Costa Rica in November will the previous trip to Colombia be an issue?

Thanks

Jsmythe23: I have a Colombia stamp in my passport and have entered CR many times since, though not from Colombia. I've never had an issue with it. I think if the Immigration agent saw a very recent Colombia stamp, you might be questioned about Yellow Fever innoculation..but I doubt it.
CH