Change in Yellow Fever regulations now in place for Costa Rica (January 2025).

In October 2024, the Ministry of Health in Costa Rica updated the geographic areas considered at risk of yellow fever.

Previously, specific regions within countries were designated as yellow fever risk zones. Now, whole countries are classified as risk areas. This change is designed to simplify risk identification for travellers but has broader implications.

Expanded yellow fever risk areas

The updated regulations expand the list of countries considered high-risk for yellow fever transmission. In South America, the following countries have been identified as areas of risk:

• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Ecuador
• Guyana
• French Guiana
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Suriname
• Venezuela
• Trinidad and Tobago.

Additionally, more African countries have been added to the previous list. For the full details, refer to the ministerial resolution (select English).

Implications for travellers

The updated regulations may significantly affect travel plans for individuals visiting Costa Rica, especially those arriving from high-risk countries. While the resolution mentions travellers on cruise ships, no definitive statement has been issued to date.

Yellow fever vaccination contraindications

The Directive provides a list of contraindications for yellow fever vaccination. These include:

• Individuals under 9 months
• Individuals who have severe egg allergy
• Individuals who are immunosuppressed
• Individuals with current or a history of thymus disease

Travellers in these categories will need to obtain a medical waiver if travelling from a high-risk country.

Relative contraindications and medical evaluation

In a very helpful addenda, several relative contraindications have been listed. These are subject to medical evaluation and include:

• Individuals over 60 years of age
• Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding
• Hypersensitivity to gelatin
• Asymptomatic HIV infection with laboratory verified normal immune function

Effective date of the new regulations

The updated regulations officially came into effect on January 11th, 2025, following a three-month period after being gazetted. Travellers planning trips to Costa Rica should ensure they comply with these new requirements to avoid complications upon entry.

Resources for further information

For recent articles on yellow fever see related posts below or contact Healthy Travel for personalised travel health advice.