Heading to Zambia? Most UK travellers are advised to be up to date with hepatitis A, typhoid and their tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster, and malaria prevention is important across the whole country. Crewe Travel Clinic can confirm your personal list at a consultation.
For Zambia, most UK travellers are advised to be up to date with hepatitis A, typhoid and a tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster, while hepatitis B and rabies may be recommended depending on your trip. Malaria is a high risk throughout the country, so antimalarial tablets are recommended for all travellers alongside bite avoidance. Yellow fever vaccine is only considered for some travellers, though a certificate is required if you arrive from a yellow-fever country. Crewe Travel Clinic can review your itinerary and confirm exactly which vaccines and malaria tablets you need.
Zambia is a classic Southern African adventure, famous for the thundering Victoria Falls at Livingstone, walking safaris in South Luangwa, the wildlife-rich Lower Zambezi and Kafue, and boating on Lake Kariba. UK travellers usually fly via Johannesburg, Nairobi or Addis Ababa into Lusaka or Livingstone, and many combine Zambia with Zimbabwe, Botswana or Malawi. Whether you are on a lodge-based safari, a canoeing trip on the Zambezi or a self-drive through the national parks, a little planning helps keep your holiday healthy.
We suggest booking a travel health appointment about 6 to 8 weeks before you fly, as some vaccines need more than one dose or take time to become fully effective, and antimalarial tablets may need to be started before departure. Even so, it is always worth coming in at shorter notice. At Crewe Travel Clinic we review your itinerary, planned activities, medical history and vaccination record, then build 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 Zambia.
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.
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 and working with animals.
Usually only for aid and relief workers or those heading to areas with poor sanitation or active outbreaks, which Zambia has seen in recent years.
May be considered for unvaccinated under-16s staying over three months, or healthcare workers with likely TB exposure.
Malaria is a high risk across the whole of Zambia, all year round and including the national parks, Livingstone and Lake Kariba. Because of this, antimalarial tablets are recommended for all travellers, alongside thorough bite avoidance. The usual options are atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine, and the right choice depends on your dates, route, activities and medical history. Some tablets must be started before you arrive (mefloquine 2 to 3 weeks ahead, atovaquone/proguanil and doxycycline 1 to 2 days before) and continued for a period after you leave the malarial area, so it is important to plan ahead. We will help you choose and time the right tablets and advise on covering up, using a DEET-based repellent and sleeping under a net. Malaria can be life-threatening, so any fever during or for up to a year after your trip should be treated as a medical emergency.
There is only a low potential for yellow fever exposure in parts of Zambia, so the vaccine is not routinely recommended for most travellers, and it is generally not advised for the Northwest and Western provinces or for anyone aged 60 or over. Vaccination is considered only for a small group of travellers aged 9 months to under 60 with prolonged stays or heavy mosquito-bite exposure in affected areas. Separately, Zambia has a certificate requirement: proof of yellow fever vaccination is required from travellers aged 1 year and over arriving from, or who have transited through, a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Travelling directly from the UK you will not normally need a certificate, but if your itinerary includes a yellow-fever-risk country you may. Always check your full route with us 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 is especially important here because of the high malaria risk, and also protects against other mosquito- and tick-borne illnesses such as dengue and African tick-bite fever, so use a DEET-based repellent, cover up at dawn and dusk and use a net where needed. Avoid swimming, paddling or wading in fresh water such as Lake Kariba and the rivers to reduce the risk of schistosomiasis (bilharzia), which is widespread. 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. Zambia is mostly a high plateau rather than high mountains, so altitude is not usually a concern. Cholera outbreaks have occurred in recent years, reinforcing the value of careful food and water hygiene. Take out comprehensive travel insurance covering safari and adventure activities and medical evacuation, pack any regular medication in your hand luggage, and protect yourself from the strong sun.