All persons travelling to Guyana are now required to produce proof that they have been vaccinated for yellow fever in order for entry as efforts have been intensified to prevent the spread of the disease in wake of the outbreak in the southern African nation of Angola.
Late last month, the Ministry of Public Health issued a notice advising persons desirous of travelling out of Guyana to ensure that their immunisation status is up-to-date before leaving the country.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has since published a list of countries, including Guyana, which require visitors to show proof of immunisation before entry is granted.
Minister of Public Health Dr. George Norton on Wednesday also confirmed that all persons desirous of travelling to Guyana would be required to present proof of immunisation before they are allowed entry.
At present, for entry into Guyana to be granted, visitors are required to produce the their International Immunisation Card with proof of the yellow fever vaccination for travellers over one year of age arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission and for all travellers having transited through the airport of a country with the risk of yellow fever transmission.
However, when quizzed about the plan of action to be utilised in the event of a passenger being unable to produce proof of immunisation, Norton stated that immigration officials would be better prepared to comment on that.
According to the WHO website, any importation of the virus into identified countries by infected travellers could result in the disease’s propagation and establishment, leading to a permanent risk of infection for the human population.
The countries that require proof of vaccination are those where the disease may or may not occur and where the mosquito vector and potential non‐human primate hosts of yellow fever are present.
Thus, proof of vaccination is often required for travellers arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission and sometimes for travellers in transit through such countries.
On the other hand, following a meeting of yellow fever experts organised in 2010, it was proposed that under 12 hours of airport transit the risk of yellow fever is almost non‐existent and, therefore, a proof of vaccination might not be necessary in some cases.
Alluding to the public advisory issued by the Ministry asking persons to be vaccinated, Norton related that there has been an increase in the number of vaccines that have been administered since then. However, he was unable to give an estimated figure.
In the meantime, several travel firms have also issued similar advisories warning potential clients to consider country requirements regarding the yellow fever virus.
Airlines like Fly Jamaica and Caribbean Airlines have published notices on their respective websites, while other agencies like the Canawaima Ferry Service Inc., which transports persons between Guyana and Suriname, issued a public notice in local newspapers earlier last month.
Other countries have since followed suit with the implementation of country-specific entry requirements, including several Caribbean and South American countries. These include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Paraguay, St. Barts, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago.
On the other hand, according to the WHO, visitors to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and France are not required to produce immunisation records at their ports of entry.
While Norton related that there are no exceptions to the rule of entry into Guyana with regards to the immunisation documents, based on the country requirements listed on the WHO website, persons travelling from Guyana are considered to be a part of the exceptions for some Caribbean countries; namely, The Bahamas and Barbados.
Additionally, the WHO has also recommended persons receive the yellow fever vaccine before traveling to countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. This is owing to the presence of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which is a known vector for transmitting both Yellow Fever and Zika.
Symptoms of yellow fever include fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. A small percentage of infected people experience a second more severe phase of illness, which includes high fever, jaundice and internal bleeding. At least half of severely affected patients who do not receive treatment die within 10 to 14 days.
Since the disease was first detected in Luanda, Angola in late December, 2015, the WHO has reported a total of 3,464 suspected cases, of which 868 are confirmed.
The total number of reported deaths was listed as 353, of which 116 were reported among confirmed cases as of June 24, 2016. The outbreak has been described as the deadliest to have hit Angola in 30 years.
Additionally, three countries have also reported the existence of yellow fever cases, which are suspected to have been exported from Angola.
Meanwhile, Norton also warned that those desirous of leaving the country should have the vaccine administered at least ten days before travel as this will allow enough time for the body to develop protection against the yellow fever infection.
Persons in need of the vaccine are asked to visit their closest Regional Vaccination Centre to receive their shots. It is also recommended that persons who have been previously vaccinated and are in receipt of necessary documentation to prove this, visit the nearest Regional Vaccination Centre to receive their International Yellow Fever Vaccination Record (Yellow Card).
