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

What vaccinations do I need for Tanzania and Zanzibar?

ByZain Rajabali

Whether you’re going on safari, climbing Kilimanjaro or spending a week on the beach in Zanzibar, Tanzania needs proper planning. Malaria is a high risk in most of the country, and there are a few vaccines most people need.

This guide is based on the UK’s official travel health advice from TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC), which covers mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar together. 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, cholera, meningitis ACWY, polio booster, chikungunya, measles (MMR), and yellow fever in a small number of cases.
  • Yellow fever certificate: only needed if you’re arriving from a country with yellow fever risk, or have spent more than 12 hours in transit at an airport in one. Flying direct from the UK, you don’t need one.
  • Malaria: high risk everywhere below 1,800 metres, including Zanzibar. Malaria tablets are recommended.
  • 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.
  • Get them in Oxford: our Oxford travel clinic runs at all four MediPill branches. Book a travel consultation ahead with no extra fee, or walk in on the day (£25 same-day express fee).

Vaccines recommended for most travellers to Tanzania

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) – rabies is a risk in Tanzania. The vaccine is recommended 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.
  • Cholera (£85 for the course, or free from your GP) – mainly for aid workers and people going to outbreak areas with limited access to safe water and medical care.
  • Meningitis ACWY (£64) – Tanzania is in the extended meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa. Recommended for health workers, people visiting friends and relatives, backpackers, and long-stay travellers living closely with local people.
  • Polio – Tanzania is affected by a vaccine-derived form of polio. A booster (the same tetanus, diphtheria and polio vaccine) is recommended for people going to places with very poor hygiene, or working closely with people who may be infected, if they haven’t had a polio vaccine in the last 12 months.
  • Chikungunya (£185) – spread by daytime-biting mosquitoes on the mainland. Considered if there’s a current outbreak, or for long-term or frequent travellers. It isn’t usually recommended for Zanzibar.
  • Measles – make sure you’ve had two doses of the MMR vaccine. If you’ve missed doses, ask your GP surgery.

Dengue is also a risk in Tanzania. It’s spread by mosquitoes that bite during the day, especially in and around towns, so avoiding bites is the protection.

Do I need a yellow fever vaccine or certificate for Tanzania?

TravelHealthPro says there’s only a low potential for exposure to yellow fever in Tanzania, so the vaccine is generally not recommended. It could be considered for a small number of people aged 9 months to 59 years who are at higher risk, for example on long trips, or with heavy exposure to mosquito bites. People aged 60 or over shouldn’t be given it for travel to Tanzania, because of a higher risk of serious side effects.

The certificate is a separate question. You need a yellow fever certificate to enter Tanzania if you’re over 1 year old and:

  • you’re arriving from a country with a risk of yellow fever, or
  • you’ve spent more than 12 hours in transit at an airport in one.

If you’re combining Tanzania with travel elsewhere in Africa, check your whole route, including stopovers. It can also work the other way: Costa Rica, for example, asks for proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers arriving from Tanzania. If you need the vaccine, it’s £85 with us, with your certificate the same day, valid for life.

Do I need malaria tablets for Tanzania?

Almost certainly. According to TravelHealthPro:

  • High risk in all areas of Tanzania below 1,800 metres, including Zanzibar. Malaria tablets are recommended.
  • No risk above 1,800 metres, where avoiding mosquito bites is enough.

Malaria mosquitoes mostly bite between dusk and dawn. No malaria tablet is 100% effective, so TravelHealthPro advises combining them with bite avoidance: cover up in the evening, use insect repellent, and sleep under a net or in screened rooms.

Some types need starting up to three weeks before you arrive, and all are continued after you leave. Children’s doses are based on body weight, and not every type is suitable for them. A pharmacist can supply malaria tablets at your consultation after checking which is right for you. See our malaria tablets page.

Other health risks in Tanzania

Kilimanjaro and altitude. Mount Kilimanjaro is 5,895 metres, and altitude illness is a risk above about 2,500 metres. The key is a slow ascent. Read TravelHealthPro’s altitude illness guidance before you book your route, and mention your climb at your consultation. A pharmacist can also supply tablets to help prevent altitude sickness, if they’re suitable for you: see our altitude sickness page.

Insect and tick bites on safari. Parts of East Africa have insect and tick-borne diseases, including sleeping sickness and African tick bite fever, that have no vaccine. Avoid bites day and night, using the TravelHealthPro bite avoidance advice.

Fresh water. There’s a risk of schistosomiasis, a parasite caught from fresh water. Avoid swimming, wading or bathing in lakes and rivers. The sea and chlorinated pools are fine.

Outbreaks. TravelHealthPro currently reports an ongoing outbreak of mpox clade I, and travellers arriving at border ports may have extra health checks. GOV.UK says all travellers must complete Tanzania’s Travellers Health Surveillance Form, before departure or on arrival. Zika is also a risk, so if you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk to your midwife, GP or us before you book.

Healthcare and insurance. GOV.UK says medical facilities are limited, especially outside Dar es Salaam, so make sure your insurance covers medical evacuation. Compulsory entry insurance. Every visitor to mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar must also buy the government’s inbound travel insurance, even if you already have your own policy, and you may be refused entry without it. You only buy it once, for your first port of entry: from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation if you arrive in Zanzibar first, or from the National Insurance Corporation if you arrive on the mainland first. It covers stays of up to 92 days. The emergency number in Tanzania is 112.

Who should get extra advice first

Travel vaccines aren’t right for everyone. The NHS says a vaccine may not be suitable if you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to a vaccine or one of its ingredients before. Tell us if you’re pregnant, have a weakened immune system or a long-term condition, and bring a list of your medicines. Don’t have a vaccine while unwell with a high temperature. TravelHealthPro notes that the yellow fever vaccine in particular is not suitable for all travellers.

When to get medical help

  • Fever after you travel. Malaria can appear up to a year after you get home. If you get a high temperature or other malaria symptoms, ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111, and tell them where you’ve been. If you’re still abroad, get medical help straight away.
  • Animal bites or scratches. Wash the wound thoroughly and get urgent medical help locally the same day, even if it looks minor, and even if you’ve had the rabies vaccine.

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, and GOV.UK suggests checking vaccine advice at least 8 weeks before a trip to Tanzania. Our guide to how long travel vaccines last explains how far ahead each vaccine needs.

What’s free on the NHS, and what it costs with us

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. Hepatitis B, rabies and yellow fever aren’t routinely available on the NHS, so you pay for them wherever you go.

Prices at MediPill:

  • Travel consultation: £10
  • Hepatitis A: £80 per dose
  • Typhoid: £55
  • Tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster: £50
  • Hepatitis B: £65 per dose (£195 for the course)
  • Rabies: £90 per dose (£270 for the course)
  • Cholera: £85 for the course
  • Meningitis ACWY: £64
  • Chikungunya: £185
  • Yellow fever: £85, with your certificate the same day

Common questions

Do I need different vaccines for Zanzibar? Mostly the same. TravelHealthPro covers Zanzibar within its Tanzania advice, and the malaria risk is high there too. The main difference is that chikungunya vaccine isn’t usually recommended for Zanzibar. If Zanzibar is your first stop, you buy the compulsory entry insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation rather than the mainland insurer.

What if I’m travelling in less than 2 weeks? Come in anyway. Several vaccines can still be given, and some have faster schedules. Some malaria tablets can be started a day or two before you go.

Where can I check the latest advice? Outbreaks and advice change, so check the TravelHealthPro page for Tanzania and the GOV.UK travel advice for Tanzania before you travel.

Travel vaccinations in Oxford

All four MediPill branches run a full travel clinic, and all four are registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres. Book a £10 consultation, or walk in same day (£25 express fee).

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

More destination guides

Sources

  1. Tanzania – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries/tanzania (latest dated update on page 12 January 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  2. Tanzania travel advice: Health – GOV.UK (FCDO). https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania/health (updated 19 May 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  3. Tanzania travel advice: Entry requirements – GOV.UK (FCDO). https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tanzania/entry-requirements (updated 20 October 2026; accessed 2 November 2026)
  4. Costa Rica (yellow fever certificate requirement) – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries/costa-rica (latest dated update on page 22 July 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  5. Altitude illness – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheets/altitude-illness (updated 9 February 2023; accessed 24 September 2026)
  6. Insect and tick bite avoidance – TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheets/insect-and-tick-bite-avoidance (updated 13 August 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  7. Travel vaccinations – NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/travel-vaccinations/ (page last reviewed 30 April 2026; accessed 24 September 2026)
  8. Malaria – NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/malaria/ (page last reviewed 29 July 2025; accessed 24 September 2026)

Written by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist – GPhC #2219769
Medically reviewed by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist, Independent Prescriber – GPhC #2219769
Last reviewed: 24 September 2026 · Next review due: July 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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