If Colombia or Ghana is on your list for the coming months, book a travel clinic appointment before you book anything else. On 16 October 2026 the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reviewed two Level 2 notices, “Practice Enhanced Precautions”, for yellow fever: one for Colombia, where cases have increased, and one for Ghana, where there is an outbreak in the Upper West Region.
The practical point is timing. The CDC advises getting the vaccine at least 10 days before you travel, and warns that not every provider carries it. If you leave it to the last week, you may not find a dose in time. This article sums up what the official sources say on 19 October 2026; it is not medical advice, and a doctor or travel nurse should confirm what is right for you.
Colombia: where the cases are
According to the CDC notice, most cases are in the department of Tolima, including newly affected areas that border places where the vaccine was already recommended. Travellers to those newly affected areas are now recommended to be vaccinated; the notice includes a map.
For the country as a whole, the CDC destination page recommends the vaccine for all travellers aged 9 months or older, with exceptions. It is generally not recommended if your trip is limited to Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena or Medellín, and it is not recommended for travel limited to areas above 2,300 m (7,550 ft), the San Andrés and Providencia archipelago, or Bogotá.
Entry rules are less clear-cut, and the official sources word them differently. The CDC page lists the vaccine as required for all arriving travellers aged 1 year or older. The UK Foreign Office advice, updated on 15 October 2026, says you need a certificate if you arrive from certain countries with a transmission risk, and that you may be asked for it when travelling to high-risk areas inside Colombia. Both agree on one thing: carry your certificate. Confirm the current rule with the Colombian embassy for your passport before you fly.
Ghana: a certificate you will need anyway
In Ghana the outbreak is in the Upper West Region, shown on the CDC map. For most visitors, though, the vaccine is not optional. The CDC destination page lists it as required for all arriving travellers aged 9 months or older, and recommends it for the same group.
If you travel on a British passport, the UK Foreign Office adds two details: you need a visa, and the yellow fever certificate is one of the documents you upload with the online application. Your passport must also be valid for at least 6 months after the date you arrive. So the certificate comes first, the visa second, the flight third.
Boosters, exemptions and the rest of the trip
Both notices say a booster may be given to some travellers, including those whose last dose was at least 10 years ago and who are going to a higher-risk setting such as Tolima or the Upper West Region. The vaccine is also “not recommended for some people”, in the CDC’s words, so ask a health professional whether it suits you.
The vaccine covers yellow fever only. Mosquitoes spread other diseases in both countries, and the CDC keeps a separate global dengue notice, updated in September 2026. Preventing mosquito bites still matters, vaccinated or not.
Two more points from the UK Foreign Office health advice for Colombia: tap water is safe to drink only in Bogotá, so elsewhere stick to bottled water, and altitude sickness is a risk in parts of the country, including Bogotá and areas of Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Nariño and Antioquia. If your route climbs quickly from the coast to the Andes, build in a slow first day.
If you develop fever, chills, headache, backache or muscle aches during or after the trip, the CDC advises seeing a doctor, telling them where you travelled, and avoiding mosquito bites for 5 days after symptoms start.
What to do this week
- Find a yellow fever vaccine provider and book an appointment at least two weeks before departure, to leave room for the 10 days.
- Keep your vaccination certificate with your passport, not in checked luggage.
- For Ghana, sort the vaccine before the visa application.
- For Colombia, check the CDC map if your route includes Tolima or rural areas, and confirm the entry rule with the embassy.
Our guides to Colombia and Ghana have the rest of the basics for planning your trip.
Cover photo: SajoR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
