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South Africa travel vaccine requirement and advise.

On this page, we summarize the vaccines to get before travel to South Africa.


This information was obtained from two reputable travel vaccine advisories:

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CDC(official vaccine advisory for the US)

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NHS(official vaccine advisory for Great Britain)

It is organized in the most practical way so a non-medical person can quickly understand it and make an informed decision about the vaccines they’ll need to get.

It was curated and vetted by a travel specialist with over twenty years of experience in the travel vaccination field, Dr.Slava Fuzayloff.

Published October 13, 2023

South Africa Map

Required vaccines


01

When is a vaccine considered to be required?

A vaccine is required when a country requires proof of vaccination from travelers at Customs before they enter the country. The proof is never requested when travelers return to the country.

02

Why are some vaccines required?

Vaccination is required for diseases that spread easily and have a high mortality rate, such as yellow fever.

03

When can Customs in a country ask for proof of vaccination, even for vaccines that aren’t required?

Proof of vaccination might be requested if you’re in one of these categories:

  • The disease is endemic in the country and there’s a high chance of contracting it.
  • You’re a citizen of acountry where the disease is endemic, regardless of where you’ve lived recently.
  • You visited a country where the disease is endemic within the last 30 days.
  • You traveled through a country where the disease is endemic and stayed at the airport for longer than 12 hours.

Are any vaccines required for South Africa? What about yellow fever vaccine?


No, no vaccines are required for travel to South Africa.

There is no yellow fever disease in South Africa, and you cannot contract it there.

But Customs in South Africa might ask you for proof of yellow fever vaccination in either of these circumstances:

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You’re a citizen of a country where yellow fever is endemic. Check this map.

For example: if you’re living in the US but traveling using an Argentinian passport, proof of yellow fever vaccination might be required because part of Argentina is a yellow fever zone.

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You’ve traveled to a country where yellow fever is endemic within the last 30 days.

You’re an American citizen, but 10 days ago you went to Ghana. Ghana is a country where yellow fever is endemic, so you’ll have to present proof of yellow fever vaccination to Customs upon entering South Africa.

Most people get vaccines that are “recommended.”


01

What makes a vaccine recommended?

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The disease the vaccine is for is prevalent in the area.

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The disease is transmitted in a common way that can’t be fully avoided, such as in food or water or by mosquito bites.

02

Do I need to show proof of vaccination for recommended vaccines?

No, you won’t need to show proof of vaccination for these vaccines. Most people get these shots for their own protection, just to be safe while abroad.

Some people get other vaccines


01

Some people get vaccines that aren’t required or recommended for reasons important to them:

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The disease is not common throughout the country, but it is common in the area where they’re going.

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There’s a greater chance of contracting the disease from certain activities that they plan to engage in (for example, camping, going through rice fields, dealing with animals).

Routine vaccines


01

Routine vaccines are shots that given to people based on their age.

The other term for routine vaccination is childhood immunization since most of them given at childhood. Most countries require all kids getting them.

This is the list of childhood routine vaccines:

  • MMR (measle, mumps and rubella)
  • Varicella
  • Polio
  • TdaP (Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis)
  • Hepatitis B
02

Some routine vaccines are given at older age (shingles) or need to be updated every so often.

This is the list of adult routine vaccines:

  • Shingles
  • Pneumonia
  • TdaP (every 10 years)
  • Polio (last shot after the age of 21)

Customer
reviews

I was searching for cheap vaccines for my trip to South Africa. The price was very important to me since it was a family trip and there are 6 members in our family. To be honest, the price is not the only advantage of this clinic. I also liked the environment and the staff. Also, this travel clinic is located in Manhattan, New York City, which makes it easily accessible. Strongly recommended for those who want to get a high-quality service for such an affordable price.
Marie, J
I have been visiting this travel clinic for years. I am always concerned about the travel health and have a habit of doing a full health check-up before making any travel plans. This time I got a prescription for malaria drugs and underwent a health check-up for my trip to Africa. Everything was great (as always)! Consider this clinic if you want to meet the best health practitioners.
Stan, G
I was always thinking that there is no need of getting vaccines when traveling until I got a severe form of Hepatitis A in Asia. This time I came to this travel clinic and asked to administer all the possible vaccines for my South African trip. The doctor told me that I need only a typhoid vaccine and malaria medications for now. Moreover, he made an extra discount since I was paying cash. If I knew that getting vaccines is so cheap and so easy I would never avoid this procedure. Recommended to everyone who wants to get travel vaccines (and even to those who never wanted).
Natalie, M

Have a question?

Travel vaccine costs at TravelClinicNY

Vaccine
Cost
Yellow fever $240
Typhoid (shot) $120
Typhoid (oral) $120
Hepatitis A $100
Hepatitis B $80
Hep A/B (combo)* $130
Tetanus(TDAP) $90
Polio $68
Meningitis $165
Rabies (Imovax) $490
Japanese Encephalitis (Ixiaro) $390
Cholera $295
MMR $120
Varicella $200

One-time office-visit fee of $75

Office visit covers the administration of all vaccines and prescribing necessary medication.

Vaccine prices are per shot. It is sometimes necessary to give more than one shot for effective immunization.

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