Earlier this year, the South African Department of Health announced that yellow fever vaccinations are no longer required for travel between Zambia and South Africa.
The decision by SA’s health department came after the World Health Organisation confirmed that Zambia had low yellow fever potential exposure status, which means travellers should not be required to carry a yellow fever vaccination certificate.
The requirement was frustrating for the tourism industry as it was putting travellers off the destination, especially because they could visit the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe without having a vaccination.
There are, however, some international regulations which require proof of yellow fever vaccination for travel to and from certain countries. The following countries are yellow fever regions and travellers are required to provide officials with a yellow fever certificate;
Angola, Argentina, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo, Cote d’lvoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, French Guyana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Suriname, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Venezuela.