​03/27/2017

Press Release No. 047, 2017

- Ministry of Health recommends vaccination for those going to the municipalities where the virus has circulated in recent years.

- Video; Press conference on recommendations for the control of yellow fever.

Bogotá, March 27, 2017. The Ministry of Health and Social Protection announced the list of municipalities where vaccination is recommended as a public health measure for the prevention of yellow fever. It also presented other transitional measures for foreigners coming from Brazil and three African countries where the outbreak is currently active.

Drawn up from the evidence of virus circulation since 2000 to date, the list includes, mainly, the Amazon, most of the Orinoco, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the Perijá mountain range and the Darién region. The Ministry also reiterated that, historically, the presentation of the yellow fever certificate of vaccination has been required for admission to 36 natural national parks in Colombia (see list below).

In order to strengthen preventive measures, the Minister of Health Alejandro Gaviria announced that next Saturday April 1 a national day of vaccination will be held for people who go to risk areas in the holiday season and Holy Week.

The head of the Ministry of Health also said that in Colombia there are 32 million people vaccinated against yellow fever, with a biological that is 99% effective, free and it provides lifetime protection with a single dose. Currently 2.4 million doses are available for those who have not been vaccinated.

"Those travelling to the municipalities at risk are recommended, not required, to be vaccinated against this disease. Those who cannot be vaccinated, such as children under one year old, pregnant women and adults over 60 years of age, are recommended following the preventive public health measures to avoid bites from the mosquito that transmits the disease," he said.

In Colombia, at the end of 2016, seven cases were confirmed by laboratory, of which six died. One of the deceased came from Peru (Caballococha). As of March 18, 2017, no new cases have been confirmed in the country.

Minister Gaviria also said that travelers coming from Brazil, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, where outbreaks of the disease are active, will be required to present the Yellow Card upon their entry into Colombia. Gaviria, however, was emphatic in stating that the recommendations and measures are transient, and will be adjusted as required by the epidemiological situation in the region.

Under the International Health Regulations (IHR), to date, 17 alerts on yellow fever outbreaks have been issued in Angola, China, Kenya, Congo, Uganda and Brazil.

Humberto Velásquez, deputy director of Migration Control of Migración Colombia, explained that "when the flights arrive from countries with yellow fever, in this case Brazil and some of Africa, the migration officer randomly and progressively requests the international immunization card. If the citizen is a foreigner and does not submit it, according to Decree 1067, 2015 (number 1, article 2.2.1.11.3.2.), some kind of inadmissibility is allowed. If the person is a Colombian citizen and does not have it, the relevant verification or vaccination will be carried out."

 Municipalities and areas where the public is recommended to be vaccinated against yellow fever

 The following lists include municipalities and province settlements with evidence of circulation of the yellow fever virus from 2000 to date.

 Antioquia

•    Dabeiba (rural area)

•    Mutatá (rural area)

•    Turbo

 La Guajira

•    Dibulla

•    Barrancas (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    Fonseca (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    San Juan del Cesar (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    El Molino (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    Villanueva (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    La Jagua del Pilar ((rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    Urumita (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

 Cesar

•    Manaure Balcón del Cesar (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    Robles (La Paz) (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    San Diego (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    Agustín Codazzi (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    Becerril (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    La Jagua de Ibirico (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    Chiriguaná (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    Curumaní (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    Pailitas (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

•    Pelaya (rural area of serranía del Perijá)

 Chocó

•    Carmen del Darién

•    Juradó

•    Acandí

•    Riosucio (rural area)

•    Unguía

 Magdalena

•    Santa Marta

Norte de Santander

•    Convención (rural area)

•    El Carmen (rural area)

•    El Tarra

•    El Zulia (rural area)

•    Hacarí

•    San Calixto

•    Sardinata (rural area)

•    Teorama

•    Tibú (rural area)

 Meta

•    Mapiripán

•    Mesetas

•    La Macarena

•    La Uribe

•    Puerto Concordia

•    Puerto Gaitán

•    Puerto Rico

•    San Juan de Arama

•    Vista Hermosa

 Casanare

•    Maní (rural areas on the banks of the Meta river)

•    Orocué (rural areas y urbanas on the banks of the Meta river)

•    Paz de Ariporo (rural areas on the banks of the Meta river)

•    San Luis de Palenque (rural areas on the banks of the Meta river)

•    Trinidad (rural areas on the banks of the Meta river)

•    Alto Corozal (rural areas en las riberas de los ríos Meta y Casanare)

 Arauca (all municipalities)

Caquetá (all municipalities)

Putumayo (all municipalities)

Amazonas (all municipalities)

Guainía (all municipalities)

Guaviare (all municipalities)

Vaupés (all municipalities)

Vichada (all municipalities)

 Natural parks where visitors have historically been required a certificate of vaccination

•    Parque Nacional Natural Alto Fragua Indiwasi

•    Parque Nacional Natural Amacayacu

•    Parque Nacional Natural Cahuinarí

•    Parque Nacional Natural Catatumbo – Bari

•    Santuario de Fauna y Flora Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta

•    Parque Nacional Natural Cordillera de Los Picachos

•    Santuario de Fauna y Flora El Corchal El Mono Hernandez

•    Parque Nacional Natural El Tuparro

•    Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona

•    Vía Parque Isla de Salamanca

•    Parque Nacional Natural La Paya

•    Parque Nacional Natural Las Orquídeas

•    Santuario de Fauna y Flora Los Colorados

•    Parque Nacional Natural Los Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo

•    Parque Nacional Natural Los Farallones de Cali

•    Santuario de Fauna y Flora Los Flamencos

•    Parque Nacional Natural Los Katíos

•    Parque Nacional Natural Macuira

•    Santuario de Fauna y Flora Malpelo

•    Reserva Nacional Natural Nukak

•    Parque Nacional Natural Old Providence Mc Bean Lagoon

•    Parque Nacional Natural Paramillo

•    Santuario de Flora Plantas Medicinales Orito Ingi Ande

•    Reserva Nacional Natural Puinawai

•    Parque Nacional Natural Río Puré

•    Parque Nacional Natural Sanquianga

•    Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de Chiribiquete

•    Parque Nacional Natural Serrania de Los Churumbelos

•    Parque Nacional Natural Sierra de La Macarena

•    Parque Nacional Natural Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

•    Parque Nacional Natural Tamá

•    Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona

•    Parque Nacional Natural Tinigu

•    Parque Nacional Natural Uramba Bahía Málaga

•    Parque Nacional Natural Utría

•    Parque Nacional Natural Yaigoje Apapo