Travel vaccines 2026: routine, recommended, required

Travel vaccines 2026: routine, recommended, required

Before a trip, first check your routine vaccines, add the ones recommended for your destination, then see a healthcare professional 4 to 6 weeks before departure. For most tourist destinations, no vaccine is required. The only common exception is yellow fever.

Medical disclaimer. This page gives general guidance to help you plan ahead. It does not replace a medical consultation. Recommendations vary by your exact destination, your age, your health, any ongoing treatment and the length of your stay. Talk to your doctor or a travel health clinic 4 to 6 weeks before you leave.

The three categories of travel vaccines

To keep things clear, travel vaccines fall into three families: routine ones that everyone should keep current, ones recommended by destination, and the single category that is truly required to cross a border.

1. Routine vaccines (current before any trip)

These are the vaccines on the national immunization schedule, valid everywhere in the world. Before any trip abroad, this is the first thing to check.

• Td/Tdap: tetanus, diphtheria, polio (and pertussis). Boosters at the recommended adult intervals.
• MMR: measles, mumps, rubella. Measles still circulates actively in Europe, Africa and Asia.
• Pertussis: combined with the adult tetanus booster.
• Hepatitis B: recommended for many trips, especially long ones or where local medical care is possible.

Depending on your profile, seasonal flu and Covid-19 may also be advised, particularly for group travel or cruises.

2. Recommended vaccines (by destination and type of stay)

These vaccines are not required at the border but advised depending on the region, the duration and the type of stay. The longer you travel, the farther from major cities and the lower the hygiene conditions, the longer the list.

• Hepatitis A: recommended for Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and parts of Eastern Europe. Transmitted through contaminated water and food.
• Typhoid: advised for long stays (from one month) or adventurous travel in countries with low hygiene standards.
• Rabies: worth considering for rural, long or remote stays far from medical care. Rabies is fatal once symptoms appear. High-risk areas in Asia, Africa and South America.
• Japanese encephalitis: for rural stays in Asia during the transmission season, especially beyond 4 weeks.
• Meningococcal meningitis (ACWY): recommended for the African Sahel (‘meningitis belt’) and required for the pilgrimage to Mecca.
• Tick-borne encephalitis: useful for forest hikes in Central and Eastern Europe and Scandinavia in spring and summer.

3. Required vaccines (yellow fever)

Yellow fever is the only vaccine that countries can require as a condition of entry. It is the only disease named for this purpose in the WHO International Health Regulations. See the dedicated section below.

Recommended vaccines by region

Recommendations depend on the exact country, but here are the broad markers by region. Always confirm with a travel health clinic before you leave.

Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia)

Routine vaccines current, hepatitis A and typhoid recommended. Rabies and Japanese encephalitis for rural or long stays. Malaria limited to certain border and forest areas.

Sub-Saharan Africa

The most demanding region. Routine vaccines, hepatitis A and typhoid, often yellow fever (sometimes mandatory), meningitis ACWY for the Sahel. Malaria chemoprophylaxis is almost always needed, except for a few southern countries such as South Africa, Botswana or Lesotho depending on the area.

Latin America (Peru, Brazil, Bolivia)

Routine vaccines, hepatitis A, typhoid. Yellow fever recommended or required for Amazon areas (Brazilian, Peruvian and Bolivian Amazon). Malaria in some tropical lowlands.

North Africa and the Middle East

Routine vaccines current, hepatitis A and typhoid depending on the conditions of the stay. Meningitis ACWY required for the pilgrimage to Mecca. Malaria risk is low to nil in most tourist destinations.

Europe and low-risk destinations

For Western Europe, North America, Japan or Australia, current routine vaccines are enough in the vast majority of cases. Tick-borne encephalitis mainly concerns forest activities in Central and Eastern Europe.

Yellow fever: the only vaccine sometimes required

The yellow fever vaccine can be required to enter certain sub-Saharan African and South American countries, or if you arrive from an area where the disease circulates. It is the only mandatory case under the WHO International Health Regulations (2005).

Key points about the international certificate:

1. Valid for life since the amendment to Annex 7 of the International Health Regulations, in force since July 11, 2016. Older 10-year certificates remain valid for life.
2. Effective from the 10th day after the first injection. Plan at least 10 days before crossing a border that requires it.
3. Issued only at an authorized clinic: only approved travel health clinics can administer the vaccine and deliver the certificate (yellow card).
4. Keep it with your passport: present it at the border of the countries concerned.

The vaccine is contraindicated for some people (immunocompromised, egg allergy, infants under 9 months, and sometimes those over 60 for a first injection). The clinic’s doctor decides case by case and can issue a contraindication certificate.

Malaria: prevention, not a vaccine

Malaria is not prevented by a vaccine in travelers. The two existing vaccines (RTS,S and R21/Matrix-M) are recommended by the WHO for children living in endemic areas, not for tourists.

For a trip, protection rests on two complementary pillars:

• Chemoprophylaxis: a preventive medication, by prescription, started before departure and continued after return depending on the drug. The doctor chooses between atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine, based on the destination, the duration and your health.
• Mosquito protection: skin repellents, long clothing treated with insecticide in the evening, treated bed nets. The Anopheles mosquitoes that carry malaria bite between dusk and dawn.

Chemoprophylaxis is almost systematic in sub-Saharan Africa. It is generally not recommended for short, urban tourist trips in Asia or tropical America, where the risk is more localized. Here too, the doctor decides.

Where to get vaccinated

Two options, depending on the vaccines you need.

Family doctor or pharmacy

Most travel vaccines (hepatitis A, typhoid, routine boosters) can be prescribed and given by your family doctor. Some vaccines are now available at pharmacies.

Travel health clinic

Essential for the yellow fever vaccine and the international certificate. These authorized clinics are found in university hospitals, at Institut Pasteur in Paris and Lille, in some airports and at approved doctors. They also give tailored advice based on your exact itinerary. The official list is published by national health agencies.

When to go: the 4-to-6-week timeline

Book an appointment 4 to 6 weeks before departure. This delay is not a comfort margin, it is a medical necessity.

• Some vaccines need several spaced doses: hepatitis B, pre-exposure rabies (now a 2-dose schedule), Japanese encephalitis.
• Immunity takes one to two weeks to develop after the injection.
• Yellow fever is only recognized from the 10th day.

If you leave in less than two weeks, see a professional anyway: an accelerated schedule or partial catch-up beats nothing. The healthcare professional will adapt.

Rounding out your health preparation

Beyond vaccines, two points complete your health planning.

• Travel insurance with medical cover: hospital and repatriation costs can reach tens of thousands of euros outside Europe. Compare policies on our best travel insurance page.
• Other practical formalities: visa, currency, safety, time difference. Find all our guides on the practical page.

For countries that impose health entry conditions, always check the official information from the country’s embassy and the travel health recommendations before you book.

Reminder. Nothing on this page replaces individualized medical advice. Before a trip, book an appointment with your doctor or a travel health clinic 4 to 6 weeks in advance.

Page written by Marie L., travel specialist. General information verified against CDC Travelers’ Health, the World Health Organization, and Institut Pasteur. Updated: June 10, 2026. This page does not replace a medical consultation.