Travel guides / Health on the road
Health on the roadTravel vaccines: what to know before you go
Some trips need vaccines or medicines you don't use at home. Plan ahead, because some vaccines need weeks to work or more than one dose.
General information only, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or travel clinic about your own health before you travel.
See a provider 4 to 6 weeks before you leave
The CDC suggests seeing a healthcare provider or travel clinic at least a month before you travel. Some vaccines take time to work, and some need more than one dose. If you are leaving sooner, still go: there may be steps that help.
Three kinds of vaccines
- Routine: vaccines everyone should be up to date on, such as measles (MMR), tetanus and the flu vaccine.
- Recommended: vaccines suggested for your destination and activities, for example hepatitis A or typhoid for many trips to South Asia.
- Required: a few countries require proof of certain vaccines to enter, most often yellow fever.
Yellow fever
Some countries require a yellow fever vaccine certificate, especially if you arrive from a country where yellow fever is present. The vaccine must be given at least 10 days before you arrive. Keep the stamped certificate with your passport.
Beyond vaccines
Ask about medicines to prevent malaria if you are going to an area where it is found, and about protecting yourself from mosquito bites, which spread dengue and other diseases with no widely used vaccine.
Check your destination
The CDC Travelers' Health website has a page for every country listing vaccines and health advice. Look up every country on your trip, including stopovers.
Handy tools
Keep reading
- Jet lag: how to beat it between South Asia and the US
- Traveling with medicines: what to pack and what to check
- REAL ID: do you need one to fly in the US?
Sources
Rules, fees and processing times change. Check the official sources above before you travel. Last checked October 2026.