Travel vaccinations for Vietnam
A popular trip from north to south, from Hanoi and Halong Bay to Ho Chi Minh City, often combined with neighbouring countries on a longer itinerary.
Do I need injections for Vietnam?
For most UK travellers, yes. The travel injections usually discussed for Vietnam are combined hepatitis A and B and typhoid, with rabies considered for rural travel, cycling or longer stays, and Japanese encephalitis for rural stays during transmission season. Check your routine NHS vaccinations too, including a diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster if it has been over 10 years. There is no malaria risk in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, the Red River delta, the coast north of Nha Trang or Phu Quoc, and only low risk in some southern provinces and rural areas, so tablets are only considered for special risk groups.
These jabs are about protecting you rather than paperwork. Rabies is the one people most often leave out. Cycling tours and rural stays bring far more animal contact than a city break, so it is worth raising at your consultation even for a shorter trip.
Book 6 to 8 weeks before you fly if you can. The rabies course runs over at least a week and the combined hepatitis A and B course has an accelerated schedule that needs 3 to 4 weeks. Travelling sooner? Book anyway. Single-dose jabs still give useful protection.
Vietnam is frequently visited as part of a longer South East Asia itinerary, which can mean more varied accommodation, transport and food exposure than a single-country holiday.
Rural and mountainous regions in the north carry different considerations to the coastal and city areas further south.
Assessed individually
Vaccines commonly discussed for Vietnam
- Hepatitis A and B combinedMost travellers. Commonly recommendedFull course £195
- TyphoidMost travellers. Commonly recommendedFull course £50
- RabiesSome travellers. Considered for rural travel, cycling or longer staysFull course £240
- Japanese encephalitisSome travellers. Considered for rural stays during transmission seasonFull course £230
- Diphtheria, tetanus and polioEveryone - check you are up to date. Booster if it's been over 10 yearsFull course £50
No vaccine for this
Malaria in Vietnam
Low risk in the southern provinces of Tay Ninh, Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Kon Tum and in other rural areas, where bite avoidance is advised. No risk in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, the Red River delta, the coast north of Nha Trang or Phu Quoc. Tablets are only considered for special risk groups.
Antimalarial tablets and pricesBeyond the jabs
Before you go
- Food and water hygiene, especially street food and rural areas
- Mosquito bite prevention for dengue as well as malaria
- Road safety, especially around motorbike traffic
- Entry requirements
- Check current visa requirements for UK travellers, as rules can change.
- When to go
- Varies by region - broadly, spring and autumn avoid the most extreme monsoon rains and heat.
Common questions
Travelling to Vietnam
I'm doing a multi-country South East Asia trip - do I plan vaccines per country?
It's best to bring your full itinerary to your consultation, including all countries and roughly how long you'll spend in each, so your pharmacist can plan for the trip as a whole rather than just one destination.
