HEALTH REGULATIONS

Before visiting Panama you may need to get the following vaccinations or take the following precautions. It is best to seek medical advice as your individual health and your planned activities will be a factor. Seek advice 4-6 weeks before travel.

Required Vaccinations

• Passengers aged 1 year and older travelling from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission must hold a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

Routine and Recommended Vaccinations and Medications

• It is recommended that passengers are up to date on routine vaccinations including diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT), measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), polio, shingles, varicella (chickenpox), and yearly flu shots.
• A hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for passengers aged 6 months and older. Passengers allergic to a vaccine component or who are younger than 6 months are advised to receive a single dose of immune globulin.
• A hepatitis B vaccination is recommended.
• Malaria is a risk in Panama. Passengers who are travelling to certain areas may need to take anti-malarial medication. For further information, please visit Malaria in Panama.
• Note: Chloroquine is NOT an effective anti-malarial medication in Panama (east of the Panama Canal).
• A rabies vaccination is recommended for passengers whose activities mean they will be around dogs or wildlife.
• A typhoid vaccination is recommended for most passengers, especially those staying with friends or relatives, or visiting smaller cities or rural areas.
• A yellow fever vaccination is recommended for passengers aged 9 months and older who are visiting certain areas of Colombia. Consultation with a doctor regarding this vaccination should be sought prior to travel. For further information, please visit yellow fever in Colombia.

General Advice

• Leptospirosis is present in Panama. Passengers are advised to avoid contaminated water and soil.
• Chagas disease (American Trypanosomiasis) is present in Panama. Passengers are advised to avoid bug bites.
• Dengue is present in Panama. Passengers are advised to avoid bug bites.
• Leishmaniasis is present in Panama. Passengers are advised to avoid bug bites.
• Zika is present in Panama. Passengers are advised to avoid bug bites.
• Hantavirus is present in Panama. Passengers are advised to avoid rodents and areas where they live, and to avoid sick people.
• Tuberculosis is present in Panama. Passengers are advised to avoid sick people.

For more detailed information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).