South America Travel Basics: Getting a Yellow Fever Vaccine in Mumbai

Who needs it

The popular misconception is that yellow fever vaccination is required to travel to South America or Africa. In reality, one requires it when returning to India, else you may be subjected to being quarantined for upto 2 weeks to avoid spreading it further (in case you contract it).

Yellow fever vaccine is a vaccine that protects against yellow fever. Yellow fever is a viral infection that occurs in Africa and South America. Most people begin to develop immunity within ten days and 99% are protected within one month of vaccination and this appears to be lifelong. – Wikipedia

Where to get it – locally / abroad

In Mumbai, 3 centres provide the vaccine currently:
1. Sir JJ Group of Hospitals
2. Airport Health Organisation [view on map]
3. A centre in Colaba (? uncertain. Please leave a comment if you know more about this).

As per an article in DNA, “Mumbai to get one more yellow fever vaccine centre”.

4. The new centre is located on the premises of the Family Welfare Training and Research Centre in Khetwadi’s Parekh building.

A quick search on Twitter will probably dishearten you about the procedure to get the vaccine locally, so here’s my story and how i did NOT get it before leaving for my South America trip and got it in Brazil instead… (NOT advocating this, since the vaccine typically takes 10 days to take into effect).

Getting my yellow fever vaccination in Rio de Janeiro!

I had checked with a friend who shuttles India and Brazil about the possibility of getting the vaccine in Brazil, and he had advised me that it would be best to get it in Sao Paulo / Rio de Janeiro simply because it would be faster and one doesn’t really have to worry if not venturing into the Amazon rainforest (i wasn’t).

So when i reached Rio, i mentioned this to my CouchSurfing host Rafael who happily volunteered to take me to his local ‘prefeitura’ where vaccinations are provided to anyone for free. It took me literally 2 minutes to get the vaccine and although i didn’t get the famous yellow certificate, they issued me a vaccination certificate written in Portuguese with the vaccine valid for the next 10 years! How i convinced the immigration officers in Mumbai about its authenticity is another story for another time 😉

Photo Credits / Source: GlobalX. Used under Creative Commons License.

Resources

Fellow travel blogger Sid – The Wanderer has a detailed account of his experience of getting the vaccine in Mumbai.

Airport Health Organization
C.S.I. Airport,
Next to Ambassador Sky Chef,
Sahar, Mumbai-400099. Office Timings:
10:00 AM to 05:30 AM (Monday to Friday)

Note: Part of the APHO staff also work round the clock (in 3 shifts) at the international terminal as well as at the APHO Centre. Contact details:
Phone: 022-28392429
Email: mumbaiapho@gmail.com

Registration Timings:
Timings for registration for Yellow Fever vaccination: 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM (Monday to Friday) at the APHO Centre.

Other information:
Passengers desirous of Yellow Fever vaccination need to carry original passport and confirmed ticket / visa for the registration.

Source: http://www.csia.in/passenger/medical-health-guidelines.aspx

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Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirements from India: Chalo Africa

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Downloadable PDF via Kesari Tours