Would an affidavit signed with a commissioner of oaths, be enough to replace my missing yellow fever certificate? I'm going to Senegal from Paris
I'm travelling from Paris to Senegal and back (with stopovers in Madrid both ways). I have a valid yellow fever vaccination but I've lost the yellow certificate and the clinic where I got the vaccination, has closed down after I was vaccinated, and there is no record of me having had the vaccination. I have investigated, and there is no way for me to recover the lost certificate, so I have no proof of being vaccinated. If there is no blood or urine test I can do to prove that I've been vaccinated, then what if I sign an affidavit in the presence of a commissioner of oaths, swearing that I have done been vaccinated for yellow fever on a certain day? Would it be valid at the airport?
Where will I be asked to show the yellow certificate:
1) At the airport in Paris or Madrid on the way to Dakar?
2) At the airport in Dakar after landing?
3) At the airport in Dakar when leaving for my return?
4) At the airport in Madrid or Paris when arriving?
Best Answer
CDC suggests booster vaccines every ten years. Given this, and the fact that CDC doesn't mention avoiding multiple shots, I'd go to a doctor, present the case, and simply ask for a second dose and a new certificate. That is probably the quickest and most efficient way of solving this.
Inform the doctor that you have the vaccine previously, how long ago it was, and that you lost your certificate.
Pictures about "Would an affidavit signed with a commissioner of oaths, be enough to replace my missing yellow fever certificate? I'm going to Senegal from Paris"
RAM Legal Services Ontario - Commissioner for Oaths, Notary Public
More answers regarding would an affidavit signed with a commissioner of oaths, be enough to replace my missing yellow fever certificate? I'm going to Senegal from Paris
Answer 2
The World Health Organization's website has a PDF summarizing what each country requires in terms of yellow fever vaccinations: https://www.who.int/ith/ITH_country_list.pdf
According to that PDF, France and Spain do not require (as of 2013) a proof of vaccination:
Compare France and Spain with a different country that, like France and Spain, is not considered to be a place where people are at risk of getting yellow fever, but they do state clearly that anyone arriving from a country with risk is required to have a vaccination:
I would still recommend to get a second vaccination (therefore replacing your lost certificate), or a vaccination waiver if possible, because airport staff might not know the contents of the PDF below, and even if they do, they might not necessarily follow it.
Whether or not airport staff would accept an affidavit swearing in the presence of a Commisioner of Oaths that you have a valid vaccination, remains an open question it seems.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Skylar Kang, Boys in Bristol Photography, Ann H, Madison Inouye