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Yellow Fever Vaccine Certificate 

While the risk for yellow fever is low in the areas we visit in Kenya, the U.S. Dept of State advises that you should have proof of yellow fever immunizations, or you may be denied entry. 

According to our partners, the situation stems from some border officials asking for documentation while others do not. In effect, we highly suggest that you receive the yellow fever vaccination and carry proof of this with you to Kenya. Please consult your physician or local travel clinic for professional advice. You should receive this vaccine at least 10 days before your trip.

If Joining the Extension,

Tanzania requires travelers to have proof of a yellow fever vaccine if coming from Kenya. Please see CDC Recommendations here. We recommend that you consult your doctor or travel health clinic to discuss this further. 

According to Tanzania's Embassy website, "if your doctor has recommended that you should not have the yellow fever vaccine due to a condition or having reached above 60 years of age, you can travel to Tanzania with your letter from the doctor and show it to the border immigration officer to waive the requirement", therefore, for individuals 60 years or older, it is possible that your doctor will not recommend taking the Yellow fever vaccine due to a higher risk of side effects. If that's your case, please bring a signed note from your doctor instead of the vaccination certificate. 

We also recommend: 

• Consult with your doctor to ensure that all of your immunizations are up-to-date.

• Consult with a local travel clinic for recommended inoculations for travel to Kenya. Your local travel clinic may have some recommendations specifically for you.

• Read the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. For example, they recommend that “most travelers” visiting Cuba get Typhoid and Hepatitis A vaccines, due to possible exposure through “contaminated food or water”. However, in our experience, the majority of “tourist” travelers visiting Cuba decide not to get these vaccines as the sanitary conditions of the accommodation you will be staying at as well as the restaurants you will eat at are at a much higher standard than average for the country.

• Only drink bottled water, which will be readily available for you, and provided by our Discover Corps team on the ground (so pack your reusable water bottle). This is a preventative measure that helps our travelers stay as healthy as possible. Remember to also take normal sanitary precautions like washing hands regularly and especially before meals.