Government announces yellow fever vaccination requirement for travelers to four countries

Ecuador’s Ministry of Public Health announced that travelers from four neighboring countries must present yellow fever vaccination certificates starting May 12, 2025. The new health measure affects travelers from Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, and Brazil amid rising cases across the region. The vaccination requirement applies to citizens and residents of these four countries.

Ecuador will begin requiring yellow fever vaccinations for travelers who have visited four countries on May 12.

The requirement also extends to travelers of any nationality, including Ecuadorians, who spent more than ten days in these territories before entering Ecuador. Authorities will verify certificates at boarding points and possibly again at entry locations.

The vaccination must occur at least ten days before arrival in Ecuador. The country recognizes that a single dose provides lifetime immunity, so certificates from previous years remain valid.

The vaccine is optional for travelers over the age of 60.

This policy aims to control the spread of yellow fever as regional cases increase. Ecuador confirmed three yellow fever cases in 2025, including two fatalities in Zamora Chinchipe province near the Peruvian border.

The broader region shows alarming figures. Colombia reported 23 cases with 13 deaths in 2024, followed by Peru with 19 cases and nine deaths. Brazil documented eight cases with four deaths in 2024, and Bolivia confirmed eight cases with four fatalities.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reports that January 2025 alone saw 17 new cases with seven deaths across the region. PAHO issued an epidemiological alert in February due to the geographic spread of the disease.

Previously concentrated in Amazon regions, cases now appear in new areas like São Paulo, Brazil, and Tolima, Colombia. Most cases occurred in unvaccinated individuals.

The situation prompted Colombian authorities to declare a public health emergency in border areas near Ecuador. The timing of this policy creates urgency for travelers with imminent plans to visit Ecuador from affected countries.

Yellow fever spreads through Aedys Egypti mosquito bites, not person-to-person contact. Symptoms include high fever, muscle pain, headache, and in severe cases, jaundice.

Ecuador recommends that its own citizens traveling to Amazon provinces get vaccinated at least ten days before departure if they lack previous immunization.