Rainforest hikes, beaches and wildlife make Costa Rica an easy favourite for Edmonton travellers. Most of the planning is fun. The health part only takes one visit, as long as you start early. Here is what the Government of Canada recommends, and how our pharmacist can help.
Do you need vaccines for Costa Rica?
If you fly to Costa Rica from Canada, you shouldn't need a vaccine to get in. There's no yellow fever in Costa Rica, and the Government of Canada doesn't recommend the yellow fever vaccine for travel there.
The one thing to watch is your route. Costa Rica asks for proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers arriving from countries where yellow fever occurs, and those rules have changed recently. If your trip passes through South America or Africa before Costa Rica, check the current requirement on travel.gc.ca before you book.
What vaccines do I need for Costa Rica?
These are the vaccines the Government of Canada's travel health advice for Costa Rica points to. We'll tailor them to your plans.
- Routine vaccines. Be up to date on measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, polio, chickenpox and meningococcal vaccines.
- Flu shot. Get it at least two weeks before you travel.
- Hepatitis A. Recommended for travellers to areas where hepatitis A is present.
- Hepatitis B. Recommended for all travellers.
- Rabies. Talk to our pharmacist about it if you'll work or volunteer with animals. Wherever you go, don't touch or feed monkeys, dogs or other animals.
Your pharmacist may also talk with you about typhoid vaccine, depending on where you'll stay and eat.
Mosquitoes: dengue, Zika, chikungunya and malaria
Mosquito borne illness is the bigger day to day risk in Costa Rica, and most of it has no vaccine.
- Dengue. It's present in Costa Rica, and the Government of Canada notes there's no vaccine available in Canada to prevent it.
- Zika and chikungunya. Both are present too. If you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk to a health care provider about Zika before you book.
- Malaria. There's a risk in certain areas and at certain times of year. If your itinerary includes those areas, your pharmacist will tell you whether you need antimalarial medication.
The best protection is not getting bitten. Use a repellent with DEET or icaridin, wear long sleeves at dawn and dusk, and sleep in screened or air conditioned rooms.
Food, water and travellers' diarrhea
Stick to safe food and water habits, wash your hands often and pack oral rehydration salts. Ask our pharmacist whether a standby antibiotic makes sense for your trip. Our travel health kit checklist has the full packing list.
When to book your travel consult
About six weeks before you leave is ideal. Some vaccines take more than one dose, and your body needs time to build protection. If your trip is sooner than that, come in anyway. Partial protection beats none.
What it costs
Travel vaccines generally aren't covered by Alberta Health Care, but many private health plans cover them and we can bill most plans directly. Call us and we'll walk you through the cost for your trip. There's no charge for the travel consult itself.
Check before you go
Entry rules and health advice change. Read the Costa Rica page on travel.gc.ca before you leave, especially the yellow fever entry rule if your route goes through another country.
Book your Costa Rica travel consult
Call (780) 443-0202 or walk in to Unit 103, 15508 87 Ave NW in Meadowlark, West Edmonton. We're open Monday 9 to 5, Tuesday to Friday 9 to 6 and Saturday 11 to 5, and closed Sunday. Bring your itinerary and your immunization record. Planning more than one stop? See our travel clinic page or our Mexico travel vaccine guide.