Yellow Fever Checks Irk Tour Operators
Zephania Ubwani
12 December 2010



Arusha — Yellow fever checks at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) have come under severe criticism once again with tourism stakeholders calling on relevant authorities to intervene.

Mr Mustapha Akunaay, the executive secretary of the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (Tato) said demands for vaccination against the disease was inconveniencing tourists and other travellers into the country.

He said tourism stakeholders were not against the rule, but wondered why it only targeted KIA, the gateway to the northern tourist circuit, and whether it was still necessary as was the case in the past.

Mr Akunaay, who was recently elected MP for Mbulu, said there was a need to review the existing legislation on yellow fever vaccination not only in the country, but within the East African region.

That should also include establishing the yellow fever status of various countries as the situation may not be the same like in the past.

"Why only target KIA and Namanga and other major airports?" he asked during a one day forum by stakeholders in the tourism sector in the northern zone convened in the weekend to discuss how to improve customer care for in-coming tourists.

The vocal Mbulu legislator said the matter might have been worsened by allegations of corruption with health staff entrusted the task of screening process at the country's second largest airport.

He called on all authorities dealing with the managements of airports and other entry points to work out a system whereby tourists and other visitors to the country were not unnecessarily delayed.


Mr Juma Fimbo, a business consultant based in Dar es Salaam, said the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) regulations on yellow fever should be made public for both incoming and outgoing travellers to understand.

Tato chairman Mr Leopold Kabendera, called on players in the industry to discuss how to administer the required health regulations such as yellow fever jabs so that the country's tourism industry is not affected.

"At times such demands become a nuisance. We should bear in mind that Tanzania is not an island. We have our competitors just close to us and may take advantage of the situation to divert more visitors to their countries," he hinted.

Remarks by the Tato officials and other stakeholders, however, drew fire from the health sector personnel at the airport, who insisted they were acting as per existing laws on yellow fever.

Early in the year, we wanted to go to Kenya for a photo safari with the kids.

We were told that we all required yellow fever injections, and must have our yellow fever cards with us, or we might not be let int the country.

I had my yellow fever, and the doctor recommended that we do NOT give it tovery young kids or older people.

So we had several people in our partty without a yellow fever cerificate.

No one asked us for it at Nairobi.

Last october they asked us for yellow fever certificates in Dar, and none of us had any.

The just waived us through.

8 trips and 6 bordering crossings at Uganda and Rwanda to and from Kenya and I have never been asked for yellow fever card yet.

Remember the boy scout motto: BE PREPARED. . You may never have to show the yellow vaccination card, but if you are asked and don't have it you may well have an expensive trip ruined before it really starts.

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Vining:
Remember the boy scout motto: BE PREPARED. . You may never have to show the yellow vaccination card, but if you are asked and don't have it you may well have an expensive trip ruined before it really starts.

Tim:

The miraculous effects of a $20 note will immunize you for your entire stay - have never known of anyone being turned back.

Have been asked once on returning to Jo'Burg after some time in Kenya. A mate forgot his card but $20 later had a new one.

In about 39 years of roaming the globe, I've never once been asked to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate. Was in Arusha in 2009 and nothing happened.

But I always had the yellow book and the current vaccination, just in case.

quote:

Originally posted by fujotupu:

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Vining:
Remember the boy scout motto: BE PREPARED. . You may never have to show the yellow vaccination card, but if you are asked and don't have it you may well have an expensive trip ruined before it really starts.

Tim:

The miraculous effects of a $20 note will immunize you for your entire stay - have never known of anyone being turned back.

That must be from a long time back if you're talking about East African rates. Assume $50 in Nairobi. In Abidjan you can get the vaccination at the airport (takes time and money).

Nobody in Africa is sticking needle in me unless i bring it my self, which I always do.

you would have to have a death wish to allow someone at an African airport to stick a needle in you.