What Jabs and Immunisations Do I Need?
If you're going to enjoy your holidays to Costa Rica, you're going to need to make sure you're fully prepared with all the right jabs and immunisations you might need so that you can relax and get on with things without worrying.
Of course, we always advise that you should seek professional medical advice before travelling to Costa Rica: your own personal medical condition can affect the advice you receive, and even general advice can change. However, it's always useful to be aware of the usual medical advice, so here is our quick guide to all the jabs and innoculations you may need for a holiday to Costa Rica.
Standard Jabs and Immunisations for Costa Rica
No compulsory jabs or immunisations are required for entry to Costa Rica, but as with travel to all developing countries, it's recommended that you check you are up-to-date with your regular boosters for all the following:
Yellow Fever and Costa Rica
Costa Rica itself is not a yellow fever area, however if you are arriving from a country where there is a risk of transmission then you may be asked to show a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate on arrival in Costa Rica. This can apply even if you haven't actually been in a yellow fever area in that country: for example even if you've only visited Lima and Machu Picchu in Peru, neither of which are in a yellow fever area: if you have the Peruvian stamp in your passport then they can ask to see your vaccination certificate.
In pratice, this condition is often not observed, but we would advise you get the vaccination in any case to make sure: it lasts for 10 years so isn't a bad one to have in your locker!
Malaria and Zika
All areas of Costa Rica are classed as low-risk for malaria, so there's usually no need to take anti-malarial medication for travel to Costa Rica. However, Costa Rica is classed as a high risk area for Zika (ZIKV) and so if you are pregnant or hoping to conceive within 8 weeks (for women) or 6 months (for men) then the WHO advises against travel here. See this NHS website for details. It's worth bearing in mind that unless you are pregnant or hoping to conceive within those timeframes then Zika usually causes either very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.