Costa Rica

General Info:

The information that appears on this website should be used to obtain general information on health risks and to consult information before traveling.

This information does not substitute a medical consultation under any circumstances. Ideally, travelers should see their health care provider four to six weeks before their trip. At the pretravel consultation, health risks will be assessed individually, taking into account the destination, trip duration, travel purpose, age, personal medical history and medications taken by the traveler.

There are risks that are relevant to all travelers regardless of their destination. Examples include traffic accidents and other types of accidents, diseases transmitted by insects and/or ticks, diseases transmitted by contaminated food and water, sexually transmitted infections, or health problems related to hot or cold weather.

All travelers should ensure they have adequate travel health insurance.

Vaccinations:

Travelers must be up-to-date on their immunization schedule, whether children or adults. For example, these vaccines include the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine; and diphtheria, tetanus, and polio.

Some travelers may be at increased risk of contracting an infectious disease due to their age, job, lifestyle, or underlying diseases, so they should be up-to-date on additional recommended vaccines.

Required Vaccines

There is no risk of yellow fever transmission in the country. In accordance with international health regulations, a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required ONLY for travelers aged over 9 months arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission. This requirement excludes Argentina and Panama. It includes Tanzania, Zambia and some areas of the following countries: Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), from July 11, 2016 (in all countries) the vaccination certificate against yellow fever is valid for the life of the person vaccinated. Consequently, a valid certificate presented by travelers cannot be rejected on the grounds that more than 10 years have passed since the date on which the vaccination became effective (as stated on the certificate). Therefore, reinforcements or revaccinations cannot be required.

Recommended Vaccines

The vaccinations that appear in this section are recommended for some of the travelers that visit this country. Such vaccines should be evaluated during the personalized pretravel consultation.

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Tetanus-Diphtheria
• Typhoid Fever
• Rabies

Malaria:

There is a moderate risk of malaria transmission in some areas of the country. Preventive treatment for malaria will be considered depending on the length of the trip and the time of year in which you travel. The treatment must be assessed and prescribed by a professional in pretravel consultation according to the characteristics of each person.

To prevent malaria, it is necessary to take into account the following:

• Cover areas of the body exposed to mosquitoes with long pants,
  long-sleeved shirts, and socks.
• Avoid wearing dark-colored clothing because they attract mosquitoes.
• Apply insect repellent to exposed areas of the skin (neck, arms, and legs). Use repellents with a concentration of at least 30% IR3535 to protect against malaria, 20% to 50% DEET, 20% Icaridine, and 30% PMD.
• When staying in the risk area, always sleep under mosquito nets (preferably impregnated ones) or in air-conditioned rooms.

REMEMBER: If you have a fever, headache and/or tiredness during the trip or on your return (even if you are taking antimalarial medication), you should see a doctor as soon as possible, particularly one specialized in Tropical Medicine and International Health to rule out malaria.

Other Risks:

Altitude Sickness

There are high-altitude points. It is possible to suffer from altitude sickness when ascending to heights above 2500m.

Arboviral Diseases

There is risk of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika transmission. They are viral infections transmitted by mosquitoes that bite during the daytime and are found in urban areas. They cause a flu-like illness. Cases of severe dengue fever are rare in travelers. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to avoid mosquito bites, since no medicines or vaccines are available. If you have a fever, headache, and/or tiredness, you should see a doctor as soon as possible, particularly one specialized in Tropical Medicine and International Health.

Precautions against Zika virus and pregnancy:

• Pregnant women who plan to travel to areas with a risk of Zika transmission should postpone the trip until after the pregnancy.
• Pregnancy should be avoided during the trip and up to 8 weeks after leaving the risk area. If a woman or her partner travel to an area where they have exposure to the virus, they should consider not having sex for at least 6 months, since Zika can be transmitted through sexual intercourse.
• If a woman has Zika symptoms, she should wait at least 2 months after her recovery to try to get pregnant.
• Pregnant women who visited this country or women who got pregnant 2 months after the trip should contact their family doctor, obstetrician, and/or midwife as well as a tropical medicine specialist for appropriate follow-up, regardless of any symptoms.