Travelling to Uganda? Most UK visitors are advised to be up to date with hepatitis A, typhoid and a tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster, with a yellow fever certificate required for entry and malaria prevention important countrywide. Crewe Travel Clinic can confirm your personal list at a consultation.
For Uganda, most UK travellers are advised to be up to date with hepatitis A, typhoid, a tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster and yellow fever, while hepatitis B, rabies and meningitis (ACWY) may be recommended depending on your trip. A yellow fever certificate is required for entry for all travellers aged 1 and over, and malaria prevention is important as malaria is present throughout the country. Crewe Travel Clinic can review your itinerary and confirm exactly which vaccines, your yellow fever certificate and malaria tablets you need.
Uganda, often called the "Pearl of Africa", packs an extraordinary amount into one country: mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, chimpanzees in Kibale, the source of the Nile at Jinja, tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park and boat trips below the thundering Murchison Falls. Most UK travellers fly into Entebbe before heading out by road to the national parks, the Rwenzori Mountains or the shores of Lake Victoria. Whether you are on a short gorilla itinerary, a longer East African loop taking in Rwanda, Kenya or Tanzania, a volunteering placement or visiting friends and family, a little health planning goes a long way.
We recommend booking a travel health appointment around 6 to 8 weeks before you fly, as some vaccines need more than one dose or take time to become fully protective, and a yellow fever certificate only becomes valid ten days after vaccination. Even if your trip is sooner, it is still worth coming in, as we can usually help 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 travellers to Uganda.
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, rural travel and those visiting friends or relatives.
There is a risk of yellow fever throughout Uganda and a certificate is required for entry, so the vaccine is recommended for almost all travellers aged 9 months and over.
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 longer or close-contact stays, backpackers and those visiting friends and relatives, as Uganda lies within the African meningitis belt.
Usually only for aid and relief workers or those heading to areas with poor sanitation or active outbreaks.
May be considered for unvaccinated under-16s staying over three months, or healthcare workers with likely TB exposure.
Malaria risk is high throughout Uganda all year round, including the capital area, Entebbe and the popular national parks, so prevention is important wherever you are heading. Antimalarial tablets are recommended for most itineraries, and the usual options are atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone or generic), doxycycline or mefloquine, alongside thorough bite avoidance. Risk can be a little lower at the highest altitudes, such as parts of the Rwenzori Mountains and the higher gorilla-trekking areas, but it is not absent, so we still advise discussing tablets and taking bite avoidance seriously. We will help you choose the right tablets for your dates, route and medical history, and advise on covering up at dusk and after dark, using DEET-based repellent and sleeping under a treated net where needed.
Uganda requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate for entry. Under the International Health Regulations, proof of vaccination is required from all travellers aged 1 year and over, including those arriving directly from the UK. There is also a genuine risk of yellow fever transmission throughout the country, so the vaccine is recommended for health as well as to meet the entry requirement, and is generally given from 9 months of age. The certificate becomes valid ten days after vaccination and now lasts for life. Yellow fever vaccine has some medical cautions, so it must be discussed and given at a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre, which is why a consultation is essential before you travel.
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, so use a DEET-based repellent, cover up around dusk and after dark and use a net where needed. Avoid swimming, paddling or wading in fresh water such as Lake Victoria, the Nile and other rivers and lakes 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 on broken skin even if you have been vaccinated. Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking can involve long, strenuous hikes in hot, humid forest and sometimes at altitude, so pace yourself, stay hydrated and allow time to acclimatise. Take out comprehensive travel insurance covering trekking and medical evacuation, pack any regular medication in your hand luggage, and protect yourself from the strong equatorial sun. It is also worth checking the latest GOV.UK and TravelHealthPro updates before you travel, as Uganda occasionally reports disease outbreaks.