Recommended vaccinations for South Africa
Consensus list of travel vaccinations for South Africa, reconciled across the US CDC and UK NaTHNaC TravelHealthPro. Required > Recommended > Routine.
| Vaccine | Category | Sources | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Fever | Required | NHS | Certificate required only for travellers arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission or transiting more than 12 hours through such countries |
| Cholera | Recommended | NHS | Recommended for travellers at increased risk or going to areas of active cholera transmission |
| Hepatitis A | Recommended | CDC , NHS | Recommended for unvaccinated travelers one year old or older; infants 6 to 11 months old should also be vaccinated; special considerations for travelers over 40, immunocompromised, or with chronic conditions · Recommended for all previously unvaccinated travellers |
| Hepatitis B | Recommended | CDC , NHS | Recommended for unvaccinated travelers younger than 60 years old; travelers 60 years and older may get vaccinated · Recommended for travellers at increased risk including unprotected sex, exposure to blood/body fluids, healthcare workers, long-stay travellers, contact sports participants, and families adopting children from South Africa |
| Rabies | Recommended | CDC , NHS | Consider pre-exposure vaccination if performing activities with increased risk of exposure or if prompt access to post-exposure prophylaxis may be difficult · Recommended for travellers at increased risk due to work, limited access to post-exposure treatment, higher risk activities, or long-stay (more than one month) |
| Tetanus | Recommended | NHS | Booster recommended if last dose was more than ten years ago, especially where medical facilities may be limited |
| Tuberculosis (BCG) | Recommended | NHS | Recommended for those at increased risk of severe disease and/or exposure to TB infection |
| Typhoid | Recommended | CDC , NHS | Recommended for most travelers, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas · Recommended for most travellers, particularly visiting friends and relatives, contact with infected persons, young children, frequent or long-stay travellers, and laboratory personnel |
| COVID-19 vaccine | Routine | CDC | All eligible travelers should be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines |
| Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) | Routine | CDC | All international travelers should be fully vaccinated; early dose recommended for infants 6–11 months |
| Routine vaccines | Routine | CDC | Includes Chickenpox (Varicella), Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, Tdap, or Td), Flu (influenza), Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR), Polio, Shingles |
Last updated 12 May 2026.
See South Africa country risk rating → · ← all countries
About this data
The information on this page is aggregated from publicly available third-party sources including the US CDC Travelers' Health and the UK NaTHNaC TravelHealthPro service (content reused under the UK Open Government Licence v3.0) . These sources update independently and at their own cadence; we ingest and reconcile them on a periodic basis.
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Not medical advice. This page is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice. Vaccine recommendations depend on individual factors including age, medical history, pregnancy status, planned activities, and destination specifics. Consult a qualified travel-health clinician and the original source advisories before making any decisions about vaccinations.
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