State Dept Travel Advisory - Level 2

Egypt Travel Advisories Elevated by Canada, UK, and USA

Egypt travel advisory elevated to Level 2
egyptian pyramids
Egypt (Precision Vaccinations News)

The US Department of State issued a Level 2 Travel Advisory when visiting the Arab Republic of Egypt. 

This ‘Practice Enhanced Caution’ US Travel Advisory was issued on July 2, 2019, and is related to various areas of civil unrest in Egypt. 

Previously, the Canadian government issued a Travel Advisory on June 19, 2019, which said to a avoid all travel to the Sinai Peninsula, within 50 kilometres of the border with Libya, the Siwa Oasis, the Western Desert, and the White and Black deserts due to terrorist activity and ongoing military operations by the Egyptian Armed Forces. 

But, this Travel Advisory does not include the coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the area within the Sharm el-Sheikh perimeter barrier, the Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport and the areas of Hadaba, Naama Bay, Nabq, Sharks Bay and Sharm el Maya. 

Additionally, on May 30th, 2019, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advised Egypt visitors to be vigilant at all times and follow the advice of the Egyptian authorities. 

This FCO advisory says potential attacks can be with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas. 

This is important news since over 8.3 million visitors traveled to Egypt in 2018. 

Keep up to date on all travel alerts by registering for the Vax-Before-Travel newsletter.

Preventive actions

If you decide to visit Egypt this summer, the US Department of State suggests the following preventive actions:

  • Do not physically resist any robbery attempt, nor display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry.
  • Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
  • U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergency situations, such as this Traveler’s Checklist.
  • The US Embassy in Cairo is located at Consular Section, 5 Tawfik Diab Street, Garden City, Cairo, Egypt. Telephone: (20-2) 2797 3300.

Health risks

Regarding Egypt’s health's risks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a Federal Register Notice on May 10, 2019, titled, “Notice of Temporary Suspension of Dogs Entering the United States from Egypt.” 

Through this notice, CDC and HHS are informing the public that, effective immediately, it is temporarily suspending the importation of:

  • Dogs from Egypt
  • Dogs originating in Egypt that are imported from third-party countries, if the dogs have lived in those countries for less than 5 months.

Rabies is fatal in both humans and animals, and the importation of even one rabid dog could result in transmission to humans, other dogs, and wildlife. The CDC and HHS are taking this action to protect public health and prevent the reintroduction of canine rabies virus variant, which has been eliminated from the USA since 2007.

Travel news

Vaccines

Furthermore, the CDC suggested on June 18, 2019, that visitors to Egypt are current with certain vaccines, such as Routine Vaccines and the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.   

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Pre-departure vaccination services, related travel medications, and counseling appointments can be scheduled with a local pharmacy by visiting Vax-Before-Travel.

As of June 10, 2019, the CDC updated its private sector vaccine prices for general information.   

And, the CDC’s Vaccines For Children program offers vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay. Additional financial support programs can be found at Vaccine Discounts.   

Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. You are encouraged to report vaccine side effects to the CDC.

 

 

Our Trust Standards: Medical Advisory Committee

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