Most UK travellers to Malaysia are advised to be up to date with hepatitis A and tetanus, with typhoid, hepatitis B, rabies and Japanese encephalitis considered for some trips. Your final list is confirmed at a consultation at Crewe Travel Clinic.
For Malaysia, most UK travellers are advised to be up to date with hepatitis A and tetanus, with typhoid, hepatitis B, rabies and Japanese encephalitis considered for some trips depending on your plans. There is no significant malaria risk for most holidays, though bite avoidance against dengue and chikungunya still matters. The team at Crewe Travel Clinic will review your itinerary and confirm exactly which vaccines you need at your consultation.
From the skyline and street food of Kuala Lumpur to the colonial heritage and hawker stalls of Penang, the beaches and dive sites of the islands, and the rainforests and wildlife of Borneo across Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia is a varied and rewarding long-haul destination for travellers from Crewe and across Cheshire. Because the country spans busy modern cities, tropical coastlines and remote jungle, the health advice can change depending on where you go, how long you stay and what you plan to do. A city-and-beach holiday based in good hotels carries different risks from a longer trip that includes rural villages, river journeys or jungle trekking in Borneo, where time spent in remote areas raises the risk.\n\nWe recommend booking your travel health appointment ideally six to eight weeks before you fly, as several vaccines are given as a course over a number of weeks and a little forward planning gives them time to take effect. Even so, it is always worth contacting us at shorter notice, as there is usually still something useful we can arrange. At Crewe Travel Clinic our nurse will review your itinerary, planned activities, vaccination history and general health, then talk you through a tailored, non-individualised list that follows current TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) and WHO guidance for Malaysia, confirmed in person.
Spread through contaminated food and water, which is a genuine risk across Malaysia, so this is advised for almost all travellers.
A combined booster is recommended if it has been ten years or more since your last dose, keeping your routine UK protection against tetanus, diphtheria and polio current.
Considered for many trips given the standard of food and water hygiene, particularly on longer stays or when eating outside larger hotels and resorts.
Considered for longer stays, healthcare or aid work, adventure activities, tattoos or piercings, or anyone who may need medical or dental treatment while away.
Worth considering as rabies is present in dogs, monkeys and bats; pre-travel doses simplify treatment if you are bitten or scratched far from a reliable clinic, especially in Borneo.
Considered for longer stays, repeated travel or trips spent largely in rural and rice-growing areas, where mosquitoes spread the virus.
Occasionally considered for longer stays or those living and working closely with local communities, particularly previously unvaccinated younger travellers.
Recommended if you are not already fully vaccinated with two doses, as measles still circulates and spreads easily among unprotected travellers.
There is no significant malaria risk for most travellers to Malaysia, so antimalarial tablets are not usually needed for a typical city, beach or island holiday. Even so, mosquito-bite avoidance remains sensible everywhere, because mosquitoes here also spread other illnesses such as dengue and chikungunya. A small risk can exist in remote, forested parts of Borneo, so if your trip includes deep jungle areas we will assess this and confirm whether any precautions are advised at your consultation.
There is no risk of yellow fever in Malaysia, so the vaccine is not needed for health reasons. A certificate may, however, be required under the International Health Regulations: proof of yellow fever vaccination can be requested from travellers arriving from, or who have transited through, a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission. Travelling directly from the UK this will not normally apply, but it matters if your trip first includes parts of Africa or South America. As a Registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre, we can advise on certificates and vaccinate where one is required.
Check yellow fever certificate requirementsFood and water hygiene is the most common cause of illness, so drink bottled or properly treated water, avoid ice of unknown origin, choose freshly cooked hot food and be cautious with salads, peeled fruit and shellfish; busy hawker stalls with high turnover are usually a safer bet. Mosquito-borne illnesses including dengue and chikungunya occur in towns and rural areas, and these mosquitoes bite by day, so use a DEET-based repellent, cover up and consider a treated net. Avoid contact with animals because of rabies, take care in Malaysia's heat and sun, and be mindful of road and water safety on island and Borneo trips.