Travel health and vaccinations

By the Viamo editorial team · Editor Terje Moy · Last updated July 2026 · 7 min read

Getting the right health preparation before travel is as important as sorting your visa or buying travel insurance — sometimes more so. What you need depends on where you are going, how you are travelling and what vaccinations you have already had. This guide explains how the system works, what the key distinctions mean, and where to get reliable advice before you depart.

Three categories of vaccination

When travel health professionals talk about vaccinations for travellers, they typically use three categories. The distinction matters, because confusing them can lead to real problems at borders — or with your health.

Routine vaccinations

These are the standard vaccinations recommended regardless of travel: things like MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), tetanus, diphtheria, polio and, in some countries, hepatitis B. Many adults from higher-income countries are behind on routine boosters without knowing it. Before any international trip, it is worth confirming with your GP or travel clinic that your routine vaccinations are up to date. Measles in particular has resurged in several regions, and unvaccinated travellers have been caught out.

Recommended vaccinations

These are vaccinations that a travel health professional might advise for a particular destination, activity or duration of stay, even though no country formally requires proof of them for entry. Common examples include hepatitis A (recommended for most developing-world destinations), typhoid (food and water precautions in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central America), rabies (if you are spending time outdoors or with animals), and Japanese encephalitis (rural areas of Asia). Whether any of these apply to your trip depends on your itinerary, accommodation style and activities.

Required vaccinations

A required vaccination is one where a country officially demands proof at the border. The most important example — and the one with real border consequences — is yellow fever.

Yellow fever and the International Certificate of Vaccination

Yellow fever is the one vaccination with genuine entry-requirement significance for many travellers. Several countries in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America are yellow-fever-endemic zones, meaning the disease is present in the local mosquito population. Countries in those zones may require proof of vaccination as a condition of entry. Additionally, many countries outside the endemic zone require proof of yellow fever vaccination if you are arriving from a country on the endemic list — even if your transit through that country was brief.

Proof takes the form of the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), sometimes called the yellow card. This small paper document, issued by an authorised vaccination centre, records your vaccinations with the date, the batch number of the vaccine and the issuing clinic's stamp. The yellow fever vaccine is now generally considered to provide lifetime immunity, and a single dose is sufficient under World Health Organization guidelines — though some countries may have specific requirements at the border that differ.

If you are caught without the yellow fever certificate where it is required, you may be vaccinated at the airport (sometimes with a vaccine of uncertain provenance and no medical assessment beforehand), detained, or refused entry. Some countries also require the certificate from travellers arriving via certain transit airports in endemic zones, even if you did not leave the transit area. Always check the specific rules for your destination and your point of departure.

Malaria: medication, not vaccination

There is no widely available vaccine against malaria for adult travellers as standard preventive treatment (a paediatric vaccine, RTS,S/AS01, is in use in some African countries but is not currently a traveller vaccine). Malaria prevention for travellers typically means antimalarial medication, mosquito avoidance (repellent, long sleeves at dusk and dawn, sleeping under nets or in air-conditioned rooms) and awareness of symptoms.

Malaria-endemic regions include much of sub-Saharan Africa, parts of South and Southeast Asia, parts of the Amazon basin in South America, and Central America. Risk levels vary even within regions — transmission is typically higher in rural areas and at certain times of year. The choice of antimalarial medication (options include atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline and mefloquine, among others) depends on the destination, the specific malaria strain present, your medical history and your tolerance for side effects. This is a decision to make with a healthcare professional, not a travel website.

Other common health precautions

Beyond vaccinations and malaria prevention, the most common travel health topics include:

• Food and water safety: traveller's diarrhoea is the most common travel illness worldwide. In many destinations, tap water is not safe to drink; ice, salads and street food carry varying risks depending on preparation standards. Oral rehydration salts are worth carrying.
• Sun and heat: heat exhaustion, sunburn and dehydration affect far more travellers than exotic disease. Acclimatise gradually if you are moving to a hot climate.
• Altitude sickness: relevant for trekkers in the Himalayas, the Andes, East African summits and other high-altitude destinations. Ascend gradually; the medication acetazolamide is sometimes prescribed preventively.
• Insect-borne diseases: beyond malaria, dengue, Zika, chikungunya and leishmaniasis are spread by mosquito or sandfly bites in various regions. Repellent with DEET or icaridin, and covered clothing at dawn and dusk, are the main preventive measures.
• Travel insurance with medical cover: this is fundamental. Medical treatment abroad — particularly evacuation — can be extremely expensive. Ensure your policy covers the activities you plan, the destinations you are visiting and any pre-existing conditions.

Where to get reliable advice

The most important thing is to get advice that is current, specific to your destination and tailored to your medical history. General travel websites (including this one) can give you the framework, but they cannot replace a consultation. The reliable sources are:

• World Health Organization (WHO): the international reference authority for disease outbreak data, vaccination recommendations and health regulations.
• NHS Fit for Travel (fitfortravel.nhs.uk): the UK National Health Service's travel health resource, widely used and regularly updated, practical for travellers of any nationality.
• CDC Traveler's Health (cdc.gov/travel): the US Centers for Disease Control's destination-by-destination guidance, very detailed and reliable.
• Your GP or a specialist travel health clinic: essential for prescriptions (antimalarials, travel vaccines not available over the counter), and for advice on your individual health situation. Book at least four to six weeks before departure for complex itineraries or multiple vaccinations.

Timing your health preparation

Some vaccines require multiple doses over several weeks to build immunity. The hepatitis B vaccine, for example, is a standard three-dose course. Rabies pre-exposure vaccination also requires three doses. If you are planning a long trip or visiting destinations requiring multiple vaccines, start the process at least six to eight weeks before departure — ideally earlier for complex itineraries.

The yellow fever vaccine should be given at an authorised centre to ensure the certificate is valid; not all GP surgeries are authorised vaccination centres for yellow fever. Your national health authority can provide a list of approved centres.

Entry requirements and health at the border

Health requirements can appear alongside visa requirements. Some destinations introduced or maintained health-related entry requirements following the COVID-19 pandemic; these can include vaccination proof, health declarations or insurance requirements. The situation evolves; always check the entry requirements guide alongside health preparation, and consult your government's official travel advice for your specific destination. For broader border entry context, the borders section covers visas, passport validity and what to expect at customs.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need vaccinations to travel to Europe?

For most travellers visiting Western Europe, no specific travel vaccinations are required beyond routine immunisations. Confirm your routine vaccinations are up to date (MMR, tetanus/diphtheria/polio) and you are unlikely to need any additional travel vaccines for a standard European trip.

What is the yellow card (ICVP) and when do I need it?

The International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) is a small booklet issued by an authorised vaccination centre that records your vaccinations. You need it as proof of yellow fever vaccination when entering countries that require it — either because they are endemic zones or because you are arriving from one. Without it where required, you risk being refused entry or vaccinated at the border.

How far in advance should I see a travel health clinic?

At least four to six weeks before departure is the standard advice, and earlier for complex trips requiring multiple vaccines or those given in series. Some vaccine courses can be accelerated, but not all, so do not leave it to the last week before you travel.

Is malaria medication really necessary for my trip?

It depends entirely on where you are going and what risk zones you will visit. Your travel health professional will assess the risk level for your specific itinerary. Do not skip this consultation for malaria-endemic destinations — the disease is serious and preventable. See the World Health Organization malaria maps for an overview of endemic regions.