Travelling to Tanzania? Most UK visitors are advised to be up to date with hepatitis A, typhoid and their tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster, with malaria prevention important across the country and yellow fever vaccination relevant for some itineraries. Crewe Travel Clinic can confirm your personal list at a consultation.
For Tanzania, most UK travellers are advised to be up to date with hepatitis A, typhoid and a tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster, while hepatitis B, rabies and meningitis ACWY may be recommended depending on your trip. Malaria prevention is important across almost all of the country, including the Serengeti, the coast and Zanzibar. There is no yellow fever risk in Tanzania, but a certificate is required if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever occurs. Crewe Travel Clinic can review your itinerary and confirm exactly which vaccines and malaria tablets you need.
Tanzania is one of East Africa's great adventures, drawing UK travellers to the northern safari circuit of the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara, the climb up Mount Kilimanjaro, and the beaches and old town of Zanzibar. Many visitors fly into Kilimanjaro or Dar es Salaam, often combining a Big Five safari with a trek, a Zanzibar beach break or onward travel to Kenya, Rwanda or Uganda. Whether you are on a lodge-based game drive, summiting Kilimanjaro or relaxing on the Indian Ocean coast, a little planning helps keep your trip healthy.
We recommend booking a travel health appointment 6 to 8 weeks before you fly, as some vaccines need more than one dose or take time to become fully effective, and yellow fever vaccination must be given at a registered centre at least 10 days before travel. That said, it is always worth coming in even at short notice. At Crewe Travel Clinic we review your itinerary, planned activities, medical history and vaccination record, then give you a tailored plan. The recommendations below are general guidance based on NaTHNaC (TravelHealthPro) and NHS Fit for Travel advice, and your final list is always confirmed at your consultation.
Spread through contaminated food and water, hepatitis A is recommended for most previously unvaccinated travellers to Tanzania.
A combined booster is advised if your last dose was more than ten years ago or your UK course is incomplete.
Recommended where food and water hygiene may be variable, particularly for longer stays and those visiting friends or relatives.
Considered for longer trips, possible medical or dental treatment abroad, adventure activities or other exposure to blood and body fluids.
Worth discussing for stays of a month or more, remote areas with limited medical care, or activities such as cycling, running, trekking and working with animals.
Considered for long-stay travellers, backpackers, those visiting friends and relatives and healthcare workers with close, prolonged local contact.
Usually only for aid and relief workers, those visiting areas with poor sanitation or limited safe water, or where there is an active outbreak.
May be considered for unvaccinated under-16s staying over three months, or healthcare and laboratory workers with likely TB exposure.
Malaria is present in Tanzania and is a serious, year-round risk in almost all of the country, including the northern safari areas, the Indian Ocean coast and Zanzibar, so antimalarial tablets (atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine) are recommended for the great majority of travellers, alongside strict bite avoidance. Risk is low to negligible only at high altitude, generally above around 1,800 metres, which includes the higher parts of a Kilimanjaro climb and the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, though you usually pass through risk areas on the way. Because many trips combine low-lying safari, coast or Zanzibar with higher ground, most itineraries warrant antimalarials. We will help you choose the right tablets for your dates, route, altitude and medical history, and advise on covering up, using DEET-based repellent and sleeping under a treated net.
There is no risk of yellow fever transmission in Tanzania, so the vaccine is not recommended for your own health. However, Tanzania does have a certificate entry requirement: a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers aged over 1 year arriving from, or who have transited for more than 12 hours through the airport of, a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Travelling directly from the UK you will not normally need a certificate to enter Tanzania. If your trip includes a yellow-fever-risk country (for example a stop in Kenya, Uganda or another endemic country) before Tanzania, you may need to be vaccinated and carry a certificate. Yellow fever vaccine is only available at registered centres and is not suitable for everyone, so we will assess your full itinerary, age and medical history and issue your certificate where appropriate.
Check yellow fever certificate requirementsStick to safe food and water practices: drink bottled or treated water, avoid ice of uncertain origin, and choose food that is freshly and thoroughly cooked. Insect-bite avoidance protects against malaria and other mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue, especially in Dar es Salaam, on the coast and in Zanzibar, so use a DEET-based repellent, cover up and use a treated net where needed. Avoid swimming or paddling in fresh water such as lakes and rivers, including parts of Lake Victoria and the Great Lakes region, to reduce the risk of schistosomiasis (bilharzia). Rabies is present, so do not approach dogs, cats, monkeys or bats, and seek urgent medical advice after any bite, scratch or lick to broken skin even if you have been vaccinated. If you are climbing Kilimanjaro or trekking at altitude, ascend gradually, allow time to acclimatise and know the signs of altitude sickness; discuss medication such as acetazolamide with us before you go. Take out comprehensive travel insurance covering safari, trekking and any adventure activities and including medical evacuation, pack regular medication in your hand luggage, and protect yourself from the strong equatorial sun.