Honduras Travel Advisory Elevated

The US Department of State elevated its Travel Advisory to Level 3 status for the Central American country of Honduras. 

This ‘Reconsider Travel’ warning was issued on June 24, 2019, saying ‘some areas in Honduras have increased risk, such as the Gracias a Dios Department, due to crime.’ 

Gracias a Dios is an isolated area with high levels of criminal activity and drug trafficking. 

The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Gracias a Dios as U.S. government employees are restricted from traveling to this area, reported this State Department Advisory. 

Separately, Canada’s travel advisory says visitors to Honduras should ‘avoid all travel to Chamelecón, Choloma, and Cofradía in the department of Cortés. 

Furthermore, the UK Foreign Travel Advice for Honduras says ‘the “El Florido” border and the road to the town of Copan are only open from 6 am to 9 pm.’ 

If you decide to visit Honduras, these governments suggest the following preventive actions:

• Do not physically resist any robbery attempt, nor display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry.
• Please monitor the situation with the local authorities (COPECO) and the National Institute of Migration.
• 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 Honduras is located at Avenida La Paz, Tegucigalpa M.D.C., Honduras, Telephone +(504) 2236-9320.

From a health warning perspective, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the UK have issued advice for travelers on the Zika virus, recommending that pregnant women and those considering becoming pregnant should avoid travel to Honduras. 

Additionally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said a dengue outbreak in Honduras has been declared by local health authorities. 

As of May 2019, there were 2,111 severe dengue cases confirmed in Honduras. 

Dengue fever disease is endemic in Honduras, with previous outbreaks reported in 2015 and 2013, in the Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula departments.

The Dengvaxia dengue vaccine was recently authorized by the CDC for children ages 9-16 but is pending distribution in the USA.

The European Commission granted marketing authorization for Sanofi’s Dengvaxia vaccine in 2018. 

Recent Honduras news articles:

• Don’t Bring Zika Home This Summer
• Honduras’ Severe Dengue Epidemic Reaches 2,111 Cases
• Nationwide Mumps Outbreak at ICE Facilities

And, the CDC suggests visitors to Honduras consider preventive vaccines including Routine Vaccines and the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Most importantly, travelers to Honduras should prevent mosquito bites.

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