Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate for Travelers Takes Up to 3 Months

01/18/2018 - 11h47

In the midst of an increase in yellow fever cases, anyone planning to travel to countries that require an international certificate for proof of vaccination has to wait as long as three months to get it.

This timeframe counts the time between filing the request and the issuance of the so-called "CIVP" (International Certificate of Vaccination) at traveler service centers run by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) in bigger states - like São Paulo for example.

In smaller states, the waiting period varies from 1 to 5 days, says the agency.

In the service center located at the Congonhas airport, for example, appointments are only available to be scheduled for the 4th of April and beyond. At the Guarulhos airport, the next appointment available is on February 16th, according to data from the agency's registration scheduling system.

Anvisa says that it has been stressing to health secretaries the need to increase the number of vaccination service centers that issue the document, which today is required by more than 100 different countries.

The idea is to form new partnerships with states and municipalities, who would receive CIVP document forms and be able to print the certificate at the same time that travelers are vaccinated.

According to the agency, the increase in the network will occur as soon as the secretaries send in the documentation necessary to certify the service centers. The forecast is that by the end of March there will be 174 registered public service centers.

Today, in addition to the Anvisa traveler customer service centers, the certificate can be issued at 97 other public agencies like certified health clinics, and 118 private ones - at these, the issuance of the certificate normally accompanies the vaccination at the same unit.

Of the 16 locations in São Paulo, nine are at private vaccination centers. Since the vaccine itself is in short supply in the private system these clinics have also stopped issuing the certificate.

Since July, Anvisa has been giving priority to issuing certificates for travelers who present proof of travel documents to countries that require the CIVP.

Translated by LLOYD HARDER

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	Leonardo Benassatto/Reuters
	State Endemics Control health agents collect samples of mosquitoes causing yellow fever at Anhanguera park in Sao Paulo, Brazil