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 with the vaccination corresponding to the vaccination schedule, whether for children or adults. These vaccines include, for example, the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria, tetanus, and poliomyelitis.
Some travelers, whether due to their age, work, lifestyle, or underlying diseases, could be at greater risk of infectious disease, so they must be up to date with additional recommended vaccinations.
Required Vaccines
There is a high risk of yellow fever throughout the country. In accordance with international health regulations, vaccination or exemption certificate against yellow fever is required for ALL travelers older than 9 months, who want to enter the country regardless of their origin.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of July 11, 2016 (for all countries) yellow fever vaccination is valid for life in the vaccinated person. Consequently, a valid certificate presented by any traveler cannot be refused because more than ten years have passed since the date the vaccination became effective (as indicated on the certificate). Therefore, boosters 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
- Yellow Fever
- Typhoid Fever
- Meningococcal Disease
- Rabies
- Poliomyelitis
Malaria:
There is a high risk of malaria throughout the country, so preventive treatment is always recommended. The treatment must be assessed and prescribed by a professional in a pretravel consultation, taking into account 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. 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:
Arboviral Diseases
There is a risk of transmission of dengue and chikungunya. They are viral infections transmitted by daytime and urban mosquitoes. They cause a flu-like illness, cases of severe dengue are rare in travelers. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to avoid mosquito bites, since there are no medications or vaccines. In case of fever, headache and/or tiredness, you should see a doctor as soon as possible, especially a Center for Tropical Medicine and International Health.
Problems Associated with Bathing in Fresh Water
There is a risk of schistosomiasis, in rivers and lakes: they harbor a type of parasite that can penetrate through healthy skin when we bathe or put our feet or hands in fresh water. Before embarking on the trip, you should check if the rivers and lakes of the destination country have this parasite (bilharzia or schistosome) in their waters. There is no risk of schistosomiasis when bathing in salt water, although there are other risks such as bacterial infections or bites animals.