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