In the News
Yellow Fever Vaccination Recommendations for Ecuador
This information is current as of today, May 13, 2008 at 19:58
Updated: May 05, 2008
Situation Information
In March 2008, the Ecuador Ministry of Health recommended yellow fever vaccination for all travelers to the following provinces in the Amazon Basin: Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Sucumbios, and Zamora-Chinchipe. Based on this information, CDC has expanded its current yellow fever vaccine recommendations for Ecuador to include all areas of the provinces listed above, which extends the defined yellow fever risk area to these provincial borders. This is in addition to the current recommendation for yellow fever vaccination for travelers going to areas along the eastern slopes and to the east of the Andes Mountains. At present, yellow fever vaccination is only required for travelers entering Ecuador if they are greater than one year of age and if they are coming from a country in the yellow fever endemic zone.
Since late 2007, emerging yellow fever disease has been reported in monkeys and humans in many South American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. For more information, please see CDC’s outbreak notices about yellow fever in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Recommendations for Travelers
Travelers are strongly advised to follow the expanded CDC yellow fever vaccination recommendations for Ecuador:
- Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for all travelers older than 9 months who are traveling to the following provinces in the Amazon Basin: Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Sucumbíos, and Zamora-Chinchipe, and all other areas in the eastern part of the Andes Mountains. Please note that this recommendation does not include the cities of Quito and Guayaquil and the Galápagos Islands.
See the Updated CDC Yellow Fever Risk Map for Ecuador.
- The risk for adverse events following yellow fever vaccination is higher for certain groups of people, such as those younger than 9 months or older than 60 years, pregnant women, and those whose immune systems are compromised. For more information about these and other yellow fever vaccine precautions and contraindications, please see the prevention information in the Yellow Fever section of CDC Health Information for International Travel 2008. These travelers (or their parents) should discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination for travel to this area of Ecuador with their physicians.
Since yellow fever is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, travelers are also reminded to:
- Use insect repellent on exposed skin surfaces when outdoors, particularly during the day.
- Repellents containing 30% to 50% DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) are recommended for adults. Lower concentrations of DEET offer shorter-term protection and require more frequent reapplication.
- Repellents containing picaridin are available in the United States in formulations of up to 15% concentration, which require frequent reapplication. Repellents with higher concentrations of picaridin may be available in some regions outside the United States.
- For additional information about the use of repellent on infants and children, please see the “Insect and Other Arthropod Protection” in Traveling Safely with Infants and Children and the “Children” section of CDC’s Frequently Asked Questions about Repellent Use.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors. Clothing may also be sprayed with repellent containing permethrin or another EPA-registered repellent for greater protection. (Remember: don't use permethrin on skin.)
Additional Information
For more information about the emerging yellow fever situation in South America, see the following announcements:
For more information about yellow fever risk, yellow fever vaccine, and insect precautions see the following CDC resources:
