Colombia's Yellow Fever Outbreak Continues in 2025

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently confirmed the yellow fever (YF) virus has become endemic in tropical areas of the Region of the Americas, such as the Republic of Colombia.

While yellow fever is a vaccine-preventable disease, with ample supplies available in Colombia, significant outbreaks have been reported over the past 13 months.

The WHO reported on February 4, 2025, that between the start of 2024 and EW 4 of 2025, a total of 31 confirmed cases of YF have been reported, including 15 fatal cases.

Recent YF outbreaks have been detected in the department of Tolima in the municipalities of Cunday, Prado, and Purificación.

With over 6 million tourists visiting Colombia last year, most landing at the El Dorado International Airport, the WHO and U.S. CDC have offered updated vaccine recommendations.

Travelers ≥1 year old arriving from Angola, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or Uganda; this includes certain airport transits or layovers in any of these countries, must be vaccinated.

YF vaccination is generally not recommended for travel limited to Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena, or Medellín cities, areas in Colombia above 7,550 ft. in elevation (where infected mosquitoes are not found), the archipelago departments of San Andrés and Providencia, or the city of Bogotá.

When departing from the United States in 2025, the  YF-VAX® vaccine is commercially offered at travel clinics and pharmacies.

From a safety perspective, the U.S. Department of State issued a high-level travel advisory for Colombia in January 2025, stating that visitors should exercise increased caution due to civil unrest and that some areas are at increased risk.