Incoming Passenger Card - Question 11

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Dan_

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Feb 4, 2014
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Hi everyone,

I am soon going to embark on 2 weeks of sailing around the Caribbean. The question I am concerned about is "Were you in Africa, South/Central America or the Caribbean in the last 6 days?" The answer is yes, cause we sail away from Haiti on the 26th and fly home on the 28th.
My doctor said I don't need any vaccines for the trip, cause we aren't going to any yellow fever risk countries and we won't be staying overnight in any of our destinations. I will be visiting Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, St Maarten and Puerto Rico.

Has anyone got any experience in visiting these places and gaining re entry to Aus without a vaccination certificate? I'm not against the vaccine, but I'm leaving Tuesday so it may be too late.

Thanks.
 
Answering "yes" to that question does not necessarily mean that you require a yellow fever certificate. You would only need to produce the certificate on re-entry to Australia if travelling somewhere that is specifically listed as a yellow fever risk country. Here's a list of them: Department of Health | Yellow fever - general fact sheet

Even if you did visit an affected country and didn't have the certificate, you would still be let into Australia (but probably receive a warning).
 
Answering "yes" to that question does not necessarily mean that you require a yellow fever certificate. You would only need to produce the certificate on re-entry to Australia if travelling somewhere that is specifically listed as a yellow fever risk country. Here's a list of them: Department of Health | Yellow fever - general fact sheet

Even if you did visit an affected country and didn't have the certificate, you would still be let into Australia (but probably receive a warning).
You will have to see a bio security officer who will likely give you a good talking too along with a fact sheet on what to do should symptoms occur.

Note that the chances of passing an infection on in most of Oz is extremely unlikely; less extreme if you are in FNQ. The issue with yellow fever is that it can kill you, with 3%-8% mortality rate. The vaccination is safe for most and 100% effective (but speak to a doctor first):
Department of Health | Yellow fever - information for health professionals
Clinical manifestations of Yellow Fever
Yellow fever causes an acute viral illness which is usually mild. Early symptoms occur 3–6 days after a person is bitten and are relatively non-specific. They include:

  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Malaise
  • Myalgia
  • Lumbosacral and joint pain, particularly in the lower extremities
  • Anorexia, nausea or vomiting
  • Restlessness/irritability
  • Dizziness
These symptoms last 3–5 days during which time the person is viraemic and potentially infectious.

About 15% of people infected with yellow fever will develop a severe clinical syndrome 3 to 6 days after initial symptoms develop. This may occur about 48 hours after the initial illness has recovered. This severe disease is characterised by the return of high fever, prostration, hepatic and renal dysfunction and haemorrhage. Between 15–50% of people with this severe disease die from shock, renal failure and/or cardiac dysfunction.

If a person survives the severe manifestations of infection, the infection terminates rapidly on about day 6 of symptoms. Convalescence from yellow fever can include several weeks of fatigue. Jaundice can persist for weeks to months.
 
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OK thanks very much. We aren't visiting any of the countries on the list so should be fine. We will also only be on land in each place for a short period.
 
As per Mattg and serfty, you will be let back in, but can cause some problems.

About ten years ago I came back from a trip to central america, and like you, without the vaccination. I was seen by an officer in the airport - had to fill in a form, provide contact details, but at the end of the day basically what this all meant was that they made me promise them that if I became ill in the following week I would let them know, and the process made me lose about half an hour in the airport.

Just be prepared for such a delay and the chat.

I usually highly support getting vaccinations, but given your travel plan/destinations (and that you leave so soon) I wont harp on that this time :)
 
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Airport transit generally OK, however overnight = visited.
It’s a cruise so we are docking between 8 and 10am and leaving between 430 and 7pm. So no overnights involved.

This is my third trip around, but the first time I’ve come straight home. I’ll be prepared for a dressing down, but hopefully the lack of overnight stays will not count.

Thanks for your help everyone.
 
It’s a cruise so we are docking between 8 and 10am and leaving between 430 and 7pm. So no overnights involved.

This is my third trip around, but the first time I’ve come straight home. I’ll be prepared for a dressing down, but hopefully the lack of overnight stays will not count.

Thanks for your help everyone.
Two of my nieces attended my sons wedding in Colombia without getting vaccinated and were just given some information on arrival back in Aust. Didn't seem to be any negative repercussions.

Bit of a silly question anyway, spend a week in the states on the way home and you can truthfully answer no though I guess you might be displaying some symptoms by then
 
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