Recommended versus required
These are two different things. Required means Vietnam can ask for proof at the border. Recommended means a health agency advises it for your protection. The CDC says the yellow fever vaccine is not recommended for Vietnam and is not required for entry. Its page for Vietnam was last reviewed on 25 August 2026.
There is one new paperwork point. British travel advice adds that, since 1 July, arrivals and transit passengers may face a health declaration, possibly with vaccine proof. Keep your vaccine record with your passport, and check with a Vietnamese embassy before you fly.
Sources: CDC Travelers' Health, Vietnam traveler view (page last reviewed 25 August 2026); UK FCDO travel advice for Vietnam, Entry requirements.
What the CDC lists for Vietnam
| Vaccine | What the CDC says for Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Routine vaccines | Be up to date before every trip: for example measles, mumps and rubella, chickenpox, polio, flu, and diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. |
| Measles | All international travellers should be fully vaccinated; cases are rising worldwide. |
| Hepatitis A | Recommended for unvaccinated travellers aged one year or older. |
| Hepatitis B | Recommended for unvaccinated travellers of all ages. |
| Typhoid | Recommended for most travellers. The vaccine is not 100 percent effective, so safe food and water habits still matter. |
| Japanese encephalitis | Recommended for people moving to, or spending a month or more in, areas where it occurs. Consider it for shorter rural trips. Not recommended for short trips to cities. |
| Rabies | Rabid dogs are sometimes found. Ask a doctor about vaccination before travel, based on your activities and how fast you could get care after a bite. |
| Chikungunya | Vaccination is generally not recommended; prevent mosquito bites instead. |
| Yellow fever | Not recommended, and not required for entry. |
The CDC also says to see a doctor at least a month before your trip, so there is time for vaccines that need more than one dose.
Its page also carries a Level 1 travel notice, practise usual precautions, for dengue worldwide, updated on 3 September 2026. It says dengue is a year round risk in many places, with outbreaks often every 2 to 5 years, and that travellers should prevent mosquito bites.
Sources: CDC Travelers' Health, Vietnam traveler view (page last reviewed 25 August 2026).
Children, babies and measles
The CDC gives two points for families. For measles, it says all international travellers should be fully vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, including an early dose for infants aged 6 to 11 months. For hepatitis A, it says infants aged 6 to 11 months should also be vaccinated, and that this dose does not count towards the usual two dose series.
The CDC adds that travellers are at risk of measles if they were not fully vaccinated at least two weeks before leaving, or have not had measles before. A family doctor can check your children's records against both points.
Sources: CDC Travelers' Health, Vietnam traveler view (page last reviewed 25 August 2026).
Why living here changes the list
Most vaccine lists online are written for a two week holiday. If you are moving to Vietnam, two items change. First, Japanese encephalitis: the CDC recommends it for people moving to live in an area where it occurs, or spending a month or more there, not only for rural trekkers. Second, rabies: the question is how quickly you could get treatment after a bite, which depends on where you will live and travel.
Children who move with you need their own check. Ask a doctor to compare their home schedule with what they still need.
Sources: CDC Travelers' Health, Vietnam traveler view (page last reviewed 25 August 2026).
Malaria and dengue: no simple jab
Malaria is not prevented by a vaccine. The CDC says malaria risk in Vietnam is in rural areas only, with rare cases in the Mekong and Red River Deltas, and none in the cities of Da Nang, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Quy Nhon. For certain provinces it recommends prescription medicine to prevent malaria. Talk to a doctor if you will spend time in rural areas.
Dengue is the mosquito disease most expats hear about. The CDC lists it among diseases in Vietnam that its travel page says cannot be prevented with a vaccine. Inside Vietnam, though, a dengue vaccine called Qdenga was licensed by the Drug Administration of Vietnam on 14 May 2024 and is available as a paid service. Ask a doctor if it is right for you. Our dengue fever in Vietnam guide covers seasons and testing.
Sources: CDC Travelers' Health, Vietnam traveler view (page last reviewed 25 August 2026); VietnamNet, Ministry proposes adding dengue vaccine in expanded immunisation programme, 14 November 2024.
Getting vaccinated once you are here
You do not have to finish everything before you land. Bring your vaccine record, in English if you can, so a doctor in Vietnam can see what you have had and what is due. Ask the clinic which vaccines it stocks and how many visits a course needs.
For routine jabs, a regular clinic near home is easiest; our family clinic picks include one. Repellent and first aid basics are sold in pharmacies, and our community pharmacy picks list three.
Floodwater, soil and heat
Some risks in Vietnam have no vaccine at all. The CDC lists leptospirosis and melioidosis, which spread through contaminated water, mud or soil, especially after heavy rain. Its advice is to avoid floodwater, keep away from muddy water after storms, and cover open cuts and burns.
The CDC also warns that heat illness such as heatstroke can be deadly. It suggests eating and drinking regularly, wearing loose light clothes, and limiting hard activity in high heat, plus sunscreen of at least SPF 15.
Sources: CDC Travelers' Health, Vietnam traveler view (page last reviewed 25 August 2026).
Bites, food and water
Vaccines are only part of it. The CDC says several diseases in Vietnam, including dengue and Zika, are spread by insects and cannot be prevented with a vaccine. Its advice: cover exposed skin, use an insect repellent, and sleep in air conditioned or screened rooms. It also stresses safe food and water habits, since the typhoid vaccine does not protect everyone.
This guide sets out what public health agencies publish. It is not medical advice and it does not tell you which vaccines to have. Ask a doctor or travel health clinic about your own case.
Sources: CDC Travelers' Health, Vietnam traveler view (page last reviewed 25 August 2026).
Common questions
- What vaccines do I need for Vietnam?
- No vaccine is required for entry. The CDC recommends routine vaccines plus hepatitis A, hepatitis B and typhoid for most travellers, and Japanese encephalitis or rabies for some, depending on how long you stay and what you do.
- Do I need a yellow fever vaccine for Vietnam?
- No. The CDC says yellow fever vaccine is not recommended for Vietnam and is not required for entry.
- Do I really need the Japanese encephalitis vaccine?
- It depends on your plans. The CDC recommends it for people moving to Vietnam or staying a month or more in areas where it occurs, and does not recommend it for short trips to cities.
- How long before travelling to Vietnam should I get vaccinated?
- The CDC says to see a doctor at least a month before your trip, so there is time for vaccines that need more than one dose.
- Is there a dengue vaccine in Vietnam?
- Yes. The Qdenga vaccine was licensed in Vietnam on 14 May 2024 and is sold as a paid service. Ask a doctor whether it suits you.