Does any one know of current health issues/risks in Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay that would require vaccinations? The CDC website lists required vaccination for yellow fever and mentioned of a required certificate of vaccination in endemic areas. Is it currently a problem in these countries?
Health issues in South American countries
If you provide specific areas within those countries you plan to visit, and your vaccination history to your local international health clinic, they will determine what inoculations you need.
I'm not sure of Canada, but where I am the international health clinic is run out of the county health department.
Typically you need current hepatitus, typhoid, and tetanus in S.A. Malaria pills may be a good idea if you spend a lot of time in the jungle. Even if you take pills and spend time in mosquito areas use skin repellent and a bed net as not getting bit is the only prevention against Dengue fever. That disease really hurts bad...'
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Did you find this page on the CDC website:
Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirements & Risk by Country
The list is in alphabetical order so scroll down to the countries in question. It will tell you the risk factors.
Also, the countries in SA that are considered endemic zones are:
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana
Guyana
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Venezuela
We traveled in Panama and did not need yellow fever, but were traveling from the US to Panama and back. The following CDC page link covers the endemic areas and maps, etc:
Yellow Fever Maps and Specific Information
My research so far indicates that for Peru (Amazon) Yellow Fever is very highly recommended and might even be required depending on where you travel from there.
My friends from Peru(Amazon)highly recommend Malaria pills, Yellow fever and tetnus.
I can say from personal experience that altitude sickness could be a problem in Peru and Bolivia. Most people will feel some effects of the altitude in the higher altitude in the Andes mountains. Some people can become very incapitated with altitude sickness.
Check out this webpage: AMS.
Most people are fine, just a few people like me who don't do well with altitude. No way to predict it though, and that's the difficult thing.