The Ministry of Health says it is crafting a raft of measures to streamline the issuance of yellow fever certificates in port health clinics in the Kenyan airports process to stem out rising cases of fake yellow fever cards.
Speaking during Health and Security Conference in Nairobi, health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki said the move is aimed at coming up with more stringent measures in the certification.
“There are rising reported cases of stranded travelers subjected to spending hours at the border awaiting clearance due to lack of vaccine or for holding fake yellow fever cards,”she said.
The CS said travelers heading to different foreign countries ended up incurring big loses because they could not make it to their final destinations.
She advised travelers to acquire vaccinations at least ten days before travelling in line with the recommendations by the authorities to avoid the last minute rush, which might lead them to being duped by crooks.
She warned individuals and brokers found engaging in the illegal business of issuing out fake certificates to travelers will be arrested and charged.
“To prevent transmission of the infection, international health regulations require a yellow fever virus proof of vaccination for travelers arriving from countries with high risk of transmission and sometimes for travelers in transit through such countries. As a country we are gearing up towards enhancing these requirements.”
