Is the Yellow Fever vaccination required for your Kilimanjaro climb?
Many websites refer to Yellow Fever being a required vaccination for Tanzania. In this short article we dispel the myths and clearly explain the yellow fever requirements for Tanzania.
Yellow Fever is not currently present in Tanzania, although it is endemic in many African countries. The concern is not that you catch Yellow Fever while you are in the country, but rather that you don't bring it in with you.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend the yellow fever vaccine for travelers to Tanzania. They do caution that the yellow fever vaccination may be a good idea if you expect to stay in the country for a long period and / or are likely to be heavily exposed to mosquitoes.
For visitors climbing Kilimanjaro, the risk of exposure is very low as you will be spending most of the trip at altitude, where mosquitoes aren't active, and trip lengths are seldom longer than 2 weeks.
That being said, the Tanzania government requires that visitors provide proof of yellow fever vaccination upon arrival if they are traveling from a country with risk of yellow fever. You can see a list of all yellow fever risk countries here.
Thankfully the list does not include the US, Canada, UK, Europe and Australia.
Please note: If you are flying via any yellow fever risk country (i.e. Kenya or Ethiopia) and are going to be in transit for more than 12 hours, you will need to get a yellow fever vaccination for Tanzania.
If your travel plans do require you to have the Yellow Fever vaccination, then you must carry your yellow fever certificate with you in your hand luggage when you travel, as it will be checked at Immigration when you enter Tanzania.
For the latest information and updates please check out the Tanzanian High Commission and ALWAYS discuss your travel health needs with your local travel clinic or GP prior to your trip as recommendations may change according to your type of trip and length of stay.
Other vaccinations and medications may also be needed for your visit to Tanzania if you're climbing Kilimanjaro, however we strongly advise that you seek professional medical advice at least 6 weeks prior to your departure.