Traveling to Vietnam – Which Vaccinations Do I Need?

A trip to Asia, in this case, Vietnam, is in many ways incomparable to a trip to Europe or other parts of the world. The culture, the people, the nature, the religion, everything about Vietnam is different from other countries. Proper preparation for your vacation is important to prevent unpleasant surprises. One of them is getting the proper vaccinations before heading to Vietnam.

Required Vaccinations for Vietnam

You do not want to visit all the highlights of Vietnam and run the risk of becoming infected. You want your schedule to run smoothly. We have, therefore, made an overview of the most important vaccinations required for Vietnam.

Please Note – This is, of course, general advice. For more specific information we would like to refer you to your local doctor, pharmacy or community health center.

Recommended vaccinations for Vietnam:

• DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Polio)
• Hepatitis A + B
• Rabies
• Typhoid
• MMR (only if you have not had measles or a measles vaccination)
• Yellow fever is only mandatory if you have been to a yellow fever country seven days before going to Vietnam

Other Recommendations

In addition to the necessary vaccinations, it is also good to take certain precautions that cannot be solved with vaccinations. This is mainly about medicines. We recommend that you always take this with you! Paracetamol can be bought everywhere, but if you need it immediately and you are in an uninhabited area, it is nice if it is in your backpack.

We advise bringing:

• Malaria tablets (Malarone or Lariam)
• Diarrhea inhibitors
• Paracetamol
• Anti-mosquito spray (DEET)
• A mosquito net

Malaria in Vietnam

Please note that Malaria is also found in parts of Vietnam. Malaria can certainly be found in the southern part near the Cambodia border. Don’t underestimate Malaria. It is a dangerous infection and prevention is really better than getting a cure in this case.

Mosquitoes are mainly active in the evening, at night and in the early morning. If you wear long sleeves and long pants, the chance of infection is therefore smaller. In addition, the use of a mosquito net, DEET (in moderation) is recommended.

Map showing areas where Malaria and mosquitos are prevalent, source.

Purple = Malaria tablets recommended

Green = Mosquito repellent recommended

Gray = No malaria

Summary

The recommended vaccinations for Vietnam are DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Polio), Hepatitis A + B, Rabies, Typhoid fever, MMR (only if you have not had measles or a measles vaccination). Yellow fever is only mandatory if you have been to a yellow fever country seven days before heading to Vietnam.