Many travelers in Peru continue on to Bolivia, which makes sense, since Peru shares most of its southern border with the country. However, if you are traveling to Bolivia, getting a yellow fever vaccine is highly recommended “for travellers 9 months of age and older travelling at altitudes below 2,300m / 7,546ft in the departments of Beni, Santa Cruz, Pando, and the subtropical areas in the departments of La Paz, Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, and Tarija.“ (Source: IAMAT)

In general, since many tourists who visit South American countries do visit places at lower altitudes (such as the Amazon), it is recommended you get vaccinated. Furthermore, since 13 countries in South America “are either endemic for, or have regions that are endemic for, yellow fever … [travelers] may bring the disease to countries free from yellow fever.” Hence, many countries still require vaccination proof before issuing a visa, “particularly if travellers come from, or have visited yellow fever endemic areas.” (Source: WHO)

We read online that some border officials on the Bolivian side insisted on a Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate, even if you are not planning to visit any of the areas listed above, so we decided, to avoid any potential hassles during entry, to get the vaccine. We used Inmunofarma, a private clinic in Cusco.

Step-by-step guide to getting our yellow fever shots and international certificate

1. Call Inmunofarma (+51 984 844 492, also available on WhatsApp) to enquire about the Yellow Fever vaccine availability,
2. Schedule a day and time to receive vaccine, if they have them available,
3. Either go to the clinic at the scheduled date and time, or have them come to you, for an additional 20 Soles.
4. Once medical staff arrives, fill out a form which will be handed to you,
5. Once done, you will receive the shot,
6. The entire process took less than 15 minutes, from filling out the form, receiving the shots, getting the certificates stamped and signed,
7. Price is 200 Soles per person, with an additional 20 Soles for home-service, regardless of how many people are taking the shot,
8. Vaccine will only take effect 9 days after the shot is received, so if you’re headed to a country which requires this vaccine, schedule your shot at least 10 days before you arrive at your next destination.

Useful Information

Inmunofarma – Their web site is here. Address: Av. Oswaldo Baca 101-B Magisterium, Cusco 08003. Available 24 hours daily. Accepts credit and debit cards, even during home service.

Vaccine validity – According to WHO, “The yellow fever vaccine is safe, affordable and a single dose provides life-long protection against yellow fever disease. A booster dose of yellow fever vaccine is not needed.” However, the medical staff who administered the shot told us it was only valid for 10 years.

What NOT TO DO after receiving your shot in the next 48 hours – at least according to the medical staff:

• Eat pork, fish, chicken, eggs,
• Do anything strenuous,
• Drink alcohol,
• Take a shower.

This is probably one of the easiest ways to get the vaccine while in Cusco. We hope this helps.