11 September 2007
Maputo — The Mozambican Interior and Health Ministries decreed on Monday that all travellers entering Mozambique from any of the 43 countries where yellow fever is known to exist must present a valid certification of vaccine against this disease.
Any passenger who cannot present such a certificate at his or her point of entry will be vaccinated at the cost of 1,350 meticais (about 54 US dollars) to benefit the National Health Service.
A source of the Health Ministry explained that the vaccine is valid for five years after the first shot, and ten years thereafter.
After the ceremony at which Interior Minister Jose Pacheco and Health Minister Ivo Garrido signed the decree, a Health Ministry source said that health staff have already been stationed to provide this service at the main airports, ports and rail and road border crossings. The measure will be gradually extended to the minor border posts.
Yellow fever has been reported from 43 countries, mostly in Africa and Latin America. The list includes three countries which, like Mozambique are members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) - namely Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.
The authorities say that this list will be updated whenever new countries are identified with an outbreak of the disease.
The government says that because of the growing yellow fever infection rates in several countries, there is a risk of this potentially lethal disease being transmitted to Mozambique, hence the need for preventive measures.
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