Destination guide · Tanzania
Travel health and vaccines: Tanzania & Zanzibar
Safari, Kilimanjaro or the beaches of Zanzibar: Tanzania takes more preparation than a trip to Southeast Asia. Two questions take up most of the consultation. Malaria prophylaxis, recommended for almost the whole country, and the yellow fever certificate, which depends less on where you go than on where you change planes.
- The malaria risk is real in most of the country, Zanzibar included. We discuss medication prophylaxis with every traveller.
- Yellow fever: no major risk on site, but the certificate is required if you arrive from an endemic country or had a long stopover in one. Check your ticket.
- Hepatitis A for practically all travellers. Typhoid, hepatitis B, rabies and meningitis depending on your trip.
- For Kilimanjaro, altitude sickness is part of the consultation too.
- Consult 4 to 6 weeks before departure.
Which vaccines for Tanzania?
| Vaccine | Who needs it |
|---|---|
| Hepatitis A | Recommended for practically all travellers |
| Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, polio, measles | Update for everyone |
| Yellow fever | Depends on your stopovers: certificate required if you arrive from an endemic country or transited there for more than 12 hours. Our practice is a certified centre. |
| Typhoid | Longer stays or travel outside organized tours |
| Hepatitis B | Long or repeated stays, possible sexual contacts, possible medical care on site |
| Rabies (pre-exposure) | Long stays, rural areas, cycling, children |
| Cholera and others | Special situations (humanitarian work, ongoing outbreak), assessed in consultation |
All these vaccines, yellow fever included, are available at the practice and given the same day.
Malaria: the central topic
Transmission occurs all year round in most of the country below about 1800 m, Zanzibar and the safari areas included. For this kind of destination, the usual Swiss recommendation is medication prophylaxis. It is a prescription medicine, chosen according to your health, trip length and budget.
It does not replace protection against mosquitoes, which bite in the evening and at night: repellent, an impregnated bed net, covering clothes from dusk.
A fever during the trip, or in the months after you return, is malaria until proven otherwise. See a doctor urgently. We also see travellers after their return.
Yellow fever: read your flight ticket
Tanzania does not require the vaccine for a direct flight from Europe. The international certificate becomes mandatory if you arrive from a country where yellow fever is present, or after more than 12 hours in transit there. A long stopover in Nairobi or Addis Ababa is enough.
The vaccine must be given at least 10 days before arrival. The certificate is then valid for life. Our practice is a certified vaccination centre.
Other points to watch
- On Kilimanjaro (5895 m), climbing too fast carries a real risk of altitude sickness. Ascent pace and preventive medication are discussed in consultation.
- Avoid swimming in fresh water, lakes and rivers, because of schistosomiasis (bilharzia). After exposure, screening on return is possible.
- For food and water, the usual precautions. Traveller’s diarrhoea is still common.
- On safari, people tend to underestimate sun and dehydration. Preparing is simple, as long as you think of it.
Frequently asked questions
Zanzibar only: do I still need malaria prophylaxis?
Transmission occurs in Zanzibar all year round. Under Swiss recommendations, prophylaxis is in principle discussed as for the mainland. The final decision depends on the season, trip length and your profile. It’s a question for a consultation, not a forum.
Is the yellow fever certificate required for Tanzania?
Not for a direct arrival from Switzerland or Europe. It is required if you arrive from an endemic country, or after more than 12 hours in transit there. Check your full itinerary, stopovers included, and get the vaccine at least 10 days before arrival. Entry rules can change quickly: we check them with you in consultation.
Family safari: can children take malaria prophylaxis?
Yes. Paediatric regimens exist, dosed by weight. Children are also more vulnerable to malaria. Prophylaxis, bed nets, age-appropriate repellents: we prepare the whole family in consultation, infants included.
Can I sort everything out by telemedicine?
Advice and assessment, yes, by screen sharing with the risk maps. If you need vaccines, we book a visit to the practice, often the same day.
Official references
- HealthyTravel.ch, Tanzania page (Swiss Expert Committee for Travel Medicine)
- FDFA travel advice: Tanzania
Written by the TravelDoctor team under the responsibility of Dr med. Ludovico Cobuccio, FMH specialist in infectious diseases (DTM&H, CTH). Last review: October 2026. This general information does not replace a personalized consultation.