Travel Vaccines: What to Consider Before You Go

What are the two categories of travel vaccines?

Start by thinking in two buckets.

Routine vaccines. Travel is an opportunity to verify that your standard vaccinations are current: measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap), influenza, COVID-19, hepatitis B, and varicella, among others 1Ref 1Wodi AP, Issa AN, Moser CA, Cineas S (2025).Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommended Immunization Schedule for Adults Aged 19 Years or Older — United States, 2025.Routine vaccines (MMR, Tdap, flu, COVID-19, hepatitis B, varicella) that should be current before travel2Ref 2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).Routine Vaccines for Travel — CDC Travelers' Health.Importance of verifying routine vaccine currency before international travel. Measles outbreaks continue in many parts of the world and have caused illness in returning travelers who were unvaccinated.

Destination-specific vaccines. These vary by where you are going. Common ones include hepatitis A (recommended for most international travel) 3Ref 3Nelson NP, Link-Gelles R, Hofmeister MG, Romero JR, Moore KL, Ward JW, Schillie SF (2018).Update: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for Use of Hepatitis A Vaccine for Postexposure Prophylaxis and for Preexposure Prophylaxis for International Travel.Hepatitis A vaccine recommended for most international travel, typhoid fever 4Ref 4Jackson BR, Iqbal S, Mahon B; CDC (2015).Updated recommendations for the use of typhoid vaccine — Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, United States, 2015.Typhoid vaccine as a destination-specific travel vaccine, yellow fever 5Ref 5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023).Yellow Fever — CDC Yellow Book 2024.Yellow fever vaccine requirements for entry into certain countries; need for authorized clinic and yellow card, Japanese encephalitis 6Ref 6Hills SL, Walter EB, Atmar RL, Fischer M; ACIP Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine Work Group (2019).Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.Japanese encephalitis vaccine as a destination-specific vaccine for travel to Asia, meningococcal disease, and rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis. Not all are needed for every destination — the CDC destination-specific tool at wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel lists what applies to each country 7Ref 7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023).CDC Yellow Book 2024: Health Information for International Travel.Authoritative destination-by-destination travel health resource covering vaccines, malaria, altitude sickness, and traveler's diarrhea.

Which vaccines are required versus recommended?

A small number are required for entry — the most notable is yellow fever. Certain countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination if you are arriving from a country where the disease is present. If required, you will need an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (often called a "yellow card"), stamped by an authorized clinic 5Ref 5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023).Yellow Fever — CDC Yellow Book 2024.Yellow fever vaccine requirements for entry into certain countries; need for authorized clinic and yellow card.

Most travel vaccines are recommended based on your risk, not legally required. "Recommended" does not mean optional in a casual sense — it means the risk to you is real and vaccination is genuinely protective. Your health depends on them, even if no one checks your passport.

Why does timing matter — and why start four to six weeks early?

Some vaccines require multiple doses spread over weeks to months — for example, the rabies pre-exposure series and some hepatitis A schedules. Some take two to four weeks to build full immunity. Yellow fever vaccine clinics have limited availability in many areas 7Ref 7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023).CDC Yellow Book 2024: Health Information for International Travel.Authoritative destination-by-destination travel health resource covering vaccines, malaria, altitude sickness, and traveler's diarrhea.

The earlier you see a travel health clinician, the more options you have. That said, even if your trip is days away, partial protection from a single dose is better than nothing — do not skip the visit simply because you feel it is too late.

What about malaria — is there a vaccine for that?

For most destinations where malaria is a risk, prevention relies on antimalarial medication and mosquito avoidance rather than a vaccine 8Ref 8Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023).Malaria — CDC Yellow Book 2024.Malaria prevention through antimalarial medication and mosquito avoidance rather than a widely available vaccine. Cochrane evidence supports the effectiveness of antimalarial drugs in travelers when used correctly 9Ref 9Jacquerioz FA, Croft AM (2024).Drugs for preventing malaria in travellers.Evidence supporting antimalarial medications for malaria prevention in travelers. The right medication depends on your destination, the drug resistance patterns there, your health history, and the length of your trip — this is one of the most important discussions to have at a travel health consultation.

A travel visit also covers traveler's diarrhea prevention and treatment, altitude sickness if your destination is at elevation, and how to manage chronic conditions or medications while abroad 7Ref 7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023).CDC Yellow Book 2024: Health Information for International Travel.Authoritative destination-by-destination travel health resource covering vaccines, malaria, altitude sickness, and traveler's diarrhea.

How do I find the right resources and providers?

The CDC Travelers' Health website (wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel) is the authoritative destination-by-destination resource — you can look up any country and see the current vaccine and prevention recommendations 7Ref 7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023).CDC Yellow Book 2024: Health Information for International Travel.Authoritative destination-by-destination travel health resource covering vaccines, malaria, altitude sickness, and traveler's diarrhea. For yellow fever vaccination specifically, you must see a designated authorized provider 5Ref 5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023).Yellow Fever — CDC Yellow Book 2024.Yellow fever vaccine requirements for entry into certain countries; need for authorized clinic and yellow card.

A primary care clinician or a dedicated travel medicine clinic can handle most travel vaccination needs. If you have complex health conditions or are traveling to high-risk areas, a travel medicine specialist is worth seeking out.