Free Yellow Fever Vaccine in Colombia

Not really advice, but my experience:

Wanted to share how I got my free Yellow Fever vaccine in at the airport in Bogota, with a foreign/US passport.

If I had gotten it done in the US, it would have been somewhere between $300-700 as most insurance does not cover it/the travel clinics I looked into do not accept insurance.

Location: El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, Colombia (BOG)

Hours: (at the time I went) - 7AM - 4PM

Go to the Departures Terminal in terminal 1, and between doors 5 and 6 on the 2nd Floor you'll see two rows of stanchions (Look for VAT/Tax Refund/Lost and Found/Vaccination Sign). The line to the line to the left is for VAT and it goes to the tiny window. The right side is for medical. If there's no one on the medical line, just walk down the hallway, past the VAT window to the clinic.

I read that when you to enter the room, you need to take a number and sit down. When I was there was no numbers to take, you just sat down, and a nurse came out, and asked why you were there. Tell them you want a yellow fever vaccine and they will collect your passport.

When they call your name, they'll hand you a laminated paper with information (in spanish) about the vaccine, allergies (to eggs), reactions, etc. A nurse will then explain the shot, and show you that she is taking the needle out of a sealed package, wipe your arm down and then vaccinate you. You’ll be handed back your passport and yellow fever card.

The waiting for them to call your name was the longest part. I think I waited a half hour.

I got the shot on arrival and would probably someone else do the same, and do it on arrival as opposed to right before a flight, as you can't predict how long the waiting room will be. Also, in case of a reaction.

There were no issues or questions about having a foreign/US passport. However, because Colombian IDs do have an ID number you carry for life, my passport number is on my yellow fever card. When I got back to the states, I did show my yellow fever card to my doctor so they could update my chart, and in case something happened to the original card, they could issue a new one.

Author: FindYourselfACity