Yellow Fever and Vaccinations for a Tanzania Safari
“Do we need a yellow fever jab?” is one of the questions we’re asked most. The short answer: it depends on where you fly from, not on Tanzania itself.
We’re a safari company, not doctors. Please check your plans with a travel clinic or your doctor six to eight weeks before you travel.
When you need a yellow fever certificate
Tanzania asks for a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you are one year old or older and you:
- arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission, or
- spent more than 12 hours in transit at an airport in one of those countries.
If you fly directly from Europe, North America or India, you usually don’t need one. But many routes to Kilimanjaro go through East African hubs, and Kenya and Ethiopia are on the risk list. A short connection that stays inside the airport is normally fine. A long layover, or a stop to visit another country first, may not be.
The certificate is the yellow “International Certificate of Vaccination”. Keep it with your passport.
Does the CDC recommend the vaccine for Tanzania?
For travellers going only to Tanzania, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists yellow fever vaccination as generally not recommended. The certificate rule is about where you’ve come from.
Malaria
There is a malaria risk in Tanzania, including in the national parks. Ask your travel clinic about antimalarial tablets, and on safari:
- wear long sleeves and trousers in the evening,
- use an insect repellent,
- sleep under the mosquito net when your room has one.
Other vaccines
Travel clinics usually suggest being up to date with routine vaccines, and often hepatitis A and typhoid for East Africa. Your clinic will look at your history and your route.
Travel insurance
Take travel insurance that covers medical evacuation. The parks are remote, and good insurance makes any emergency much simpler.
Read next: Tanzania visa guide and our safari packing list.
