How to Get a Free Yellow Fever Vaccine
To Pay or Not to Pay?
Do you have an extra $400 laying around for the Yellow Fever Vaccine? I sure don’t. Even if you can afford it, I’m sure you’d rather spend that on something else. New shoes, upgrading to a first-class window seat, anything else. $400 can go far as extra spending money on a vacation! Keep reading to learn how you can pocket that cash and snag a free Yellow Fever Vaccine in Colombia, or other international locations. Here are a few things to consider when determining if getting a vaccine abroad is for you.
Do you need the YVF?
If you travel a lot or think you’ll ever travel throughout South America or Africa, consider it. You can get it for free instead of being faced with the bill down the road when you actually need it. While every country doesn’t require it for entry from the United States, it is sometimes required based on other places you may have been or if traveling to certain parts of countries. For example, entering Australia from the US would not require it, but if you have been to a high-risk area, such as Brazil, it would be mandatory. Likewise, you do not need the YFV for general travel to Peru throughout Lima, Cusco or Machu Picchu, but if you’re trip includes the Amazon or cities under a certain elevation, then it is required. Every country has a range of rules, so don’t assume your home country exempts you. The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains a detailed database and you can check high-risk Yellow Fever Transmission Areas here.
Is it safe?
Absolutely! A few years ago, WHO ranked 191 countries’ healthcare systems based on quality, efficiency, responsiveness and fairness in financing. Coming in at #22, guess who Colombia beat?? Canada at #30, the U.S. at #37 and every other South American country! Since healthcare cost is a factor and we know the U.S. doesn’t do any favors when it comes to that, this ranking is not surprising. So don’t worry… You’re in good, clean hands!
How soon do you need it?
In my case, I had 3 months before my trip started and another 2 months of traveling before I reached a country that required it. I set out in the US to find it and encountered the same 2 problems; 1) no one had it 2) If they had it, it was AT LEAST $400. Since I had just quit my job, this was not in my budget! I encountered this in multiple cities in different states. While researching, I saw plenty people say they got the vaccine for incredibly cheap throughout South America. Keep in mind, like the Covid vaccine, it has to be in your system a full TEN DAYS to be considered valid. So if your first stop requires it, you’ll have to get it at home. But if you have a stop somewhere else first, hit the internet and see what you can find. A simple “where to get the yellow fever vaccine in (enter your country)” should suffice.
Where to actually get it?
After a two-hour layover in Bogota, then making my way to Cartagena, I found out you can get a free Yellow Fever Vaccine at the Bogota Airport. Since I didn’t follow this route, I can’t verify if this is valid as of December 2021. What I found said Hospital de Fontibon offers the shot for free on the second floor, located next to Lost & Found. In my case, I went to the DADIS office in Getsemani, Cartagena.
Fortunately, my hotel was in Getsemani, so it was less than a 5-minute walk for me. Note: the GPS leads you to the corner of Calle 25 and Carrera 10b, but the clinic portion is actually around the corner on the Calle 10 side. There are plenty people standing outside and food carts, hard to miss.
Address: DADIS – Departamento Administrativo Distrita de Salud
Cra 10b #25-10 Cartagena, Provincia de Cartagena, Bolivar
Vaccination Clinic Hours: Mon – Fri 8:00 am – 3:00 pm / Sat 8:00am – 12:00pm
What to expect?
The same thing you’d expect in a free clinic visit anywhere! Packed, more people than seats, crying babies. Sign in at the front desk, wait to be called, get shot. Disclaimer: No one in the clinic spoke any English. But my Spanish is minimal and it was still enough to get by. I had my translator app ready, but didn’t need it. “Necesito la vacuna fiebre amarilla”. That’s not exactly correct, but it got me what I needed! Necesito la vacuna contra la fiebre amarilla, if you want to be technical. Once they realized I wasn’t fluent in Spanish, they essentially handled the transaction without me; lots of pointing and not many words. You will need your physical passport, not a copy, for documentation purposes.
Recap:
I found an article at 5am when I couldn’t sleep one night. I arrived at the clinic at 8am and was back in bed by 9:30am; including getting a breakfast empanada y jugo de naranja. Most importantly, all I spent was 6 pesos on the food. Now I’m clear for the rest of my life. And that’s how you bypass insane US healthcare costs and get the Yellow Fever Vaccine for free!
Now that you’re vaxxed up and need to fill the rest of your free time in Cartagena, look no further than my article on the Top Things to Do in Cartagena, Colombia!
