Dr. Vaccines
Travel Vaccinations
What you need depends on where you are going, how long for, and what you will be doing there. Start six weeks before you fly.
Travel vaccination splits into two categories that are easy to confuse. A small number are legally required, a country will not let you in without the certificate, yellow fever being the main example. The rest are recommended: nothing stops you boarding without them, but they address the infections you are realistically likely to meet at your destination.
The single most common mistake is leaving it too late. Several vaccines need multiple doses spread over weeks, and yellow fever certificates only become valid 10 days after the dose. Six weeks before departure is a comfortable margin; two weeks is a scramble.
At a glance
Exactly which of these apply depends on your itinerary. We go through your destinations in the consultation.
| Vaccine or test | Status | Schedule | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow fever | Conditional | Single dose, certificate valid from day 10 | Legally required for entry to parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South America, and required by India on return if you have been in a risk country. Administered only at designated centres. The certificate is now treated as valid for life in most contexts. |
| Typhoid | Recommended | Single conjugate dose | Advised for most of South and Southeast Asia, Africa and parts of South America, particularly if you will be eating outside hotels or staying with family. |
| Hepatitis A | Recommended | Two doses, 6 months apart | Spread through contaminated food and water, and the most common vaccine-preventable infection travellers actually catch. The first dose gives good protection before you go; the second extends it for years. |
| Hepatitis B | Recommended | Three doses at 0, 1 and 6 months | Relevant for longer stays, healthcare work, or anywhere you might need medical or dental treatment. Accelerated schedules exist when time is short. |
| Rabies (pre-exposure) | Conditional | Two or three doses before travel | Worth it for remote destinations, long stays, cycling or trekking trips, and anyone working with animals. It does not remove the need for treatment after a bite, but it simplifies it considerably and buys time. |
| Meningococcal ACWY | Conditional | Single dose | Mandatory for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. Also advised for the African meningitis belt and for students entering some university systems. |
| Japanese encephalitis | Conditional | Two doses, 28 days apart | Considered for extended rural stays in parts of Asia during transmission season. Not needed for short urban trips. |
| Influenza | Recommended | Annual | Air travel and crowded transit are efficient ways to catch influenza, and seasons differ between hemispheres. |
Start six weeks out, and why
The timeline is driven by dose intervals rather than by the clinic. Hepatitis B on a standard schedule runs over six months. Rabies pre-exposure needs a week between doses. Yellow fever certificates are not valid until day 10. Japanese encephalitis needs 28 days between doses.
Accelerated schedules exist for most of these, so a late start is not hopeless, but it narrows your options and sometimes costs more. If you are already inside two weeks, come anyway; we will prioritise what can still be done usefully.
What is required versus what is advised
Only a handful of vaccines are entry requirements. Yellow fever is the significant one, and India itself requires a yellow fever certificate from travellers arriving from risk countries, people are turned back over this. Meningococcal ACWY is required for Hajj and Umrah.
Everything else is a risk judgement. That judgement depends less on the country than on what you will be doing: a business trip staying in hotels is a different exposure profile from six weeks backpacking in the same country.
Things vaccines do not cover
Several important travel risks have no vaccine, and it is worth knowing which so you plan for them separately.
- Malaria: prevented with antimalarial tablets and bite avoidance, not a vaccine.
- Dengue, chikungunya and Zika, mosquito bite avoidance is the main protection.
- Travellers' diarrhoea, food and water precautions, plus a plan for rehydration.
- Altitude sickness: a matter of ascent profile and acclimatisation.
- Road traffic injury: statistically the largest risk to travellers, and entirely unrelated to infection.
Bring your itinerary to the appointment
We need more than the country name. Which regions, rural or urban, what time of year, how long, where you will stay, and whether you will be around animals or doing healthcare or aid work. Layovers matter too, transiting a yellow fever country can trigger certificate requirements on arrival.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I get travel vaccines?
Six weeks before departure is comfortable. Several vaccines need multiple doses over weeks, and a yellow fever certificate is only valid from 10 days after the dose. Accelerated schedules exist if you are running late, so come in even at short notice.
Which travel vaccines are legally required?
Very few. Yellow fever is the main one, required for entry to certain African and South American countries, and India requires a yellow fever certificate from travellers arriving from risk countries. Meningococcal ACWY is mandatory for Hajj and Umrah. Everything else is recommended rather than required.
How long is a yellow fever certificate valid?
It becomes valid 10 days after vaccination and is now treated as valid for life in most contexts, replacing the older 10-year rule. Yellow fever vaccination is only given at designated centres.
Is there a vaccine for malaria or dengue?
Not as part of routine travel protection in this setting. Malaria is prevented with antimalarial tablets and bite avoidance; dengue, chikungunya and Zika rely on avoiding mosquito bites. We advise on these separately from vaccination.
Do I need travel vaccines for a short business trip?
Often fewer than for leisure travel, because staying in hotels and eating in established restaurants is a lower exposure profile. Hepatitis A and typhoid are still commonly advised for many destinations. Bring your itinerary and we will work through it.
Book your travel vaccination consultation
Bring your full itinerary, including layovers and rural stops. We will tell you what is legally required, what is genuinely worth having, and what needs to start today.
Before you rely on this page
This page is general health information, not personal medical advice. Vaccine schedules depend on your age, medical history, pregnancy status, medications and previous immunisations. Our doctors will confirm what is right for you at your appointment. National recommendations are also revised periodically. We review these pages against current Indian and WHO guidance.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-01
Related pages
Typhoid
Typhoid Fever Vaccination
Typhoid remains common across India. The conjugate vaccine gives longer protection than the older polysaccharide one and works in young children.
Rabies
Rabies Vaccination
Rabies is effectively always fatal once symptoms begin, and entirely preventable before then. India accounts for a large share of global deaths.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A Vaccination
Spread through contaminated food and water. Usually mild in children, considerably more serious in adults, and worth checking whether you are already immune.
By region
Common Viruses by Region
What circulates in India, the USA, UK, Australia, Europe and Africa, and which infections a vaccine prevents.