IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAVEL

It has been noted by this Office that there are varying
interpretations of the validity of immunization certificates for
travel.  These have caused travelers much inconvenience.  Clarification
is hereby made and attention is invited to the following requirements:

a.  Types of Certificates Required for Travel — The
International Sanitary Regulations of the World Health Organization
require that only WHO prescribed forms of international vaccination
certificates shall be used for travel. One of the functions of the
Bureau of Quarantine is to perform immunization for travel abroad and
issue the corresponding certificate of vaccination.  It is therefore
recommended that immunization for travel be secured in this Office in
order that the passenger may be properly documented.  Certificates
issued by the Armed Forces to active members of the organization shall
be accepted in lieu of international certificates.  It is recommended,
however, that such certificates be referred to this Office for
authentication.

b.  Smallpox Vaccination — Smallpox vaccination is a
standard requirement for travel.  The validity of a smallpox vaccination
certificate shall extend for a period of three years beginning eight
days after the date of a successful primary vaccination or in the event
of a revaccination, on the date of that revaccination.  To illustrate
this, the following examples are given:

1.    An individual has his or her first primary vaccination
January 1, 1962.  This shall be recorded in the column for primary
vaccination.  This vaccination is inspected after a week to determine
whether it was successful or not. If successful, it shall be duly
recorded.  In this case, the vaccination is valid January 9, 1962 up to
January 1, 1965.

2.    Another individual who is revaccinated January 1, 1962
shall have such vaccination recorded in the column for revaccination. 
This revaccination is effective January 1, 1962 up to January 1, 1965.

c.  Cholera Immunization — The validity of a cholera
certificate shall extend for a period of six months, beginning six days
after the injection of the vaccine or, in the event of a revaccination,
within such period of six months of the date of that revaccination.  To
illustrate this, the following examples are given:

1.    A passenger given the first injection of cholera on
January 1, 1962 shall have this certificate valid six days after or on
January 7, 1962 up to July 1, 1962.

2.    If this same passenger is revaccinated on or before July
1, 1962, the second immunization is effective on the date of this second
vaccination.

3.    Any immunization given to this passenger after July 1,
1962 shall be considered primary immunization and shall be valid only
six days after such immunization.

d.  Yellow Fever Immunization — A yellow fever
immunization certificate is valid only if the vaccine has been approved
by the World Health Organization and if the vaccinating center has been
designated by the health administration for the territory in which it is
located.  In the Philippines, yellow fever immunization is given only
in Manila by this Bureau.  The validity of a yellow fever vaccination
certificate shall extend for a period of six years beginning ten days
after the date of vaccination or in the event of a revaccination, within
such period of six years from the date of that revaccination. As an
illustration, the following examples are given:

1.    A passenger given the first injection of yellow fever on
January 1, 1962 shall have his certificate valid ten days after or on
January 11, 1962 up to January 1, 1968.

2.    If this same passenger is revaccinated on or before
January 1, 1968, the second immunization is effective on the date of
this second vaccination.

3.    Any immunization given to this passenger after January 1,
1968 shall be considered primary immunization and shall be valid only
ten days after such immunization.

e.  International Certificate of Vaccination — All incoming passengers should have in their possession valid international certificates of vaccination.

Any passenger arriving from abroad without a valid international
certificate of vaccination shall be considered as a passenger not
properly documented.  He shall be therefore subject to isolation or
surveillance.

1.  Arrivals from infected local areas —

a)    All passengers arriving in the Philippines without a
valid certificate of vaccination shall be placed in isolation for a
number of days equivalent to the incubation period of the disease
reckoned from the date of departure from the infected port.

b)    All passengers arriving in the Philippines with a valid
certificate of vaccination shall be placed under surveillance for a
number of days corresponding to the Incubation period of the disease
reckoned from the date of departure from the infected port.

2.  Arrivals from non-infected local areas — All
passengers arriving in the Philippines are required to possess on
arrival valid smallpox vaccination certificates.  Any person without
this certificate shall be vaccinated; if he refuses to be vaccinated, he
shall be placed under surveillance for not more than fourteen days,
reckoned from the date of this departure from the last territory visited
before arrival.

f.   The shipping or airline company which booked the passenger
concerned shall be held liable for this violation of Quarantine
Regulations.  If the passenger is placed under surveillance, said
company shall be responsible for presentation of the passenger to this
Bureau every day for the period of surveillance. In case of isolation,
the company concerned shall pay all expenses incidental to isolation.

g.  It is hereby Informed that Paracholera due to the El Tor
vibrio shall be considered a quarantinable disease in the same manner as
the Asiatic Cholera.  All outgoing passengers are requested to have
their valid cholera immunization certificates before departure.

All concerned are enjoined to give sufficient publicity to the
provisions of this Quarantine Administrative Order so that inconvenience
due to delay of passengers departures in the event that their
immunization certificates are not in order may be avoided. It is
imperative that passengers be requested to secure their immunizations
for travel in this Office at least one week before departure.

Adopted: 14 June 1962

(SGD.) J. C. AZURIN
Colonel, B. Q.
Director of Quarantine

Effective: 14 June 1962