Illustration of a globe, passport and aeroplane, representing travel vaccinations

What vaccinations do I need for Vietnam?

ByZain Rajabali

The classic north-to-south route through Vietnam takes in cities, coast and countryside, and that mix matters for your vaccines. Here’s what UK travel health guidance recommends, and why the rural parts of your trip matter most.

This guide is based on the UK’s official travel health advice from TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). It’s general information: which vaccines are right for you is decided at a travel consultation, based on your plans and health.

The short answer

  • Recommended for most travellers: hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid.
  • Some travellers, depending on your plans: hepatitis B, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya, dengue, measles, tuberculosis.
  • Malaria: There’s no malaria risk in the big cities and most of the coast, and only a low risk in rural areas. Malaria tablets usually aren’t needed.
  • Book 4 to 6 weeks before you travel. Some vaccines need more than one dose. If you’re short of time, it’s still worth coming in.

Vaccines recommended for most travellers to Vietnam

TravelHealthPro recommends these for most travellers:

Hepatitis A spreads through contaminated food and water. TravelHealthPro recommends it for all previously unvaccinated travellers, because it’s well tolerated and gives long-lasting protection. £80 per dose with us, or free from your GP surgery.

Tetanus is everywhere, in soil and manure, and gets in through wounds. You should have completed the UK course. TravelHealthPro advises a booster if your last dose was more than 10 years ago and you’re going somewhere medical care may be limited. It’s given as a combined tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster: £50 with us, or free from your GP surgery.

Typhoid spreads through contaminated food and water. The risk is higher if you’re visiting friends and relatives, staying a long time or travelling often, or going where hygiene may be poor. £55 with us, or free from your GP surgery.

All travellers should also be up to date with their routine UK vaccines.

Vaccines some travellers need

These depend on what you’ll be doing, where you’ll stay and for how long:

  • Hepatitis B (£65 per dose, £195 for the course) – for anyone who might have unprotected sex, need medical or dental treatment, stay a long time, play contact sports, or work with blood.
  • Rabies (£90 per dose, £270 for the course) – for people who’ll be far from medical care, doing higher-risk activities like running or cycling, working with animals, or staying more than a month.
  • Japanese encephalitis (£126 per dose, £252 for the course) – spread by mosquitoes in rural areas; for people staying a month or more during the transmission season, or with plans like visiting rice fields or farms.
  • Chikungunya (£185, for adults) – spread by daytime-biting mosquitoes; considered if there’s a current outbreak, or for long-term or frequent travellers.
  • Dengue – spread by daytime-biting mosquitoes. A vaccine exists, but it’s only considered for people who’ve had dengue before. For everyone else, avoiding mosquito bites is the protection.
  • Measles – make sure you’ve had two doses of the MMR vaccine. If you’ve missed doses, ask your GP surgery, or we can give it (£60 per dose).
  • Tuberculosis (BCG) – recommended for unvaccinated children under 16 who are going to live there for more than 3 months, and some health workers. Ask your GP about BCG.

Japanese encephalitis and malaria are both linked to rural areas, so homestays, trekking in the countryside or long trips outside the cities are worth mentioning at your consultation.

Do I need malaria tablets for Vietnam?

According to TravelHealthPro:

  • No risk in the large cities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Red River delta, the coast north of Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc Island.
  • Low risk in the southern provinces of Tay Ninh, Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Kon Tum, and other rural areas.

TravelHealthPro recommends awareness of the risk and avoiding mosquito bites rather than malaria tablets for most travellers. Tablets may be considered in exceptional cases for people at higher risk, such as long-term travellers visiting friends and relatives, people over 70, pregnant women, young children, or people with a weakened immune system.

Wherever you go, avoid mosquito bites: cover up, use insect repellent, and sleep under a net or in screened rooms where needed. If you do need tablets, a pharmacist can supply them at your consultation. See our malaria tablets page.

Do I need a yellow fever certificate?

There are no yellow fever certificate requirements for Vietnam.

How far ahead should I book?

The NHS and TravelHealthPro both advise seeing a travel health professional at least 4 to 6 weeks before you travel. Our guide to how long travel vaccines last explains how far ahead each vaccine needs, and how long it protects you for.

Common questions

Are any of these vaccines free? Yes. The NHS says hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera and polio (as part of the tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster) are free from your GP surgery after a risk assessment. Many people still come to us so everything’s done in one appointment, or because their surgery can’t fit them in before they fly.

How much does a travel consultation cost? At MediPill, a travel consultation is £10, and it’s redeemable against same-day vaccines.

What if I’m travelling in less than 2 weeks? Come in anyway. Several vaccines can still be given, and some have faster schedules.

Where can I check the latest advice? Outbreaks and advice change, so check the TravelHealthPro page for Vietnam before you travel, and the FCDO’s foreign travel advice for entry requirements.

Travel vaccinations in Oxford

All four MediPill branches run a full travel clinic, and all four are registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres:

See every vaccine and price on our travel clinic page, or book a travel health consultation.

More destination guides

Sources

  1. Vietnam – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries/vietnam (page updated 2 January 2024; accessed 23 September 2026)
  2. Travel vaccinations – NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/travel-vaccinations/ (accessed 23 September 2026)

Written by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist – GPhC #2219769
Medically reviewed by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist, Independent Prescriber – GPhC #2219769
Last reviewed: 23 September 2026 · Next review due: March 2027

This article is general health information based on UK travel health guidance and is not a substitute for a travel consultation. It does not recommend any specific vaccine or medicine for you. What you need is decided at an individual assessment with a pharmacist.

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