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Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and is iconic for palm fringed, white sandy beaches, easy-going locals and exotic cocktails. This sounds like your typical beach resort holiday but do you actually need vaccinations for Cuba? Well, let’s address this question. As part of any travel health advice, we need to consider all the possible risks but please bear in mind not all infections are covered by your jabs for Cuba. Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya are all common on the island but vaccines for these diseases are not routinely available. They’re all viral infections spread by daytime biting mosquitoes, so insect bite avoidance is very important for this particular trip. The injections for Cuba primary consists of Hepatitis A, typhoid and making sure your childhood vaccinations are up to date. These include: MMR vaccine, diphtheria, tetanus & polio In the meantime take a look at our Cuba vaccine table below which gives you a rough guide.
What travel vaccinations do I need for Cuba?
Dr Ravi Gowda, Consultant in Infectious Diseases or one of his highly trained clinical colleagues will be looking after your Cuba vaccine requirements. Find out more about the Health Klinix team.
Who will be providing your travel injections for Cuba?
"Although the injections for Cuba you receive are important in protecting you against a number of tropical diseases, not all diseases are vaccine preventable.
Dengue*, zika and chikungunya are all viral infections spread by mosquitoes. They are very common in Cuba particularly during the rainy season between May to November. There are no specific vaccines for these infections, therefore, it's really important that you try and protect yourself from insect bites. The best way to do this is to use insect repellent with at least 50% DEET, wear long sleeved shirts and pants and stay in rooms with window and door insect screens."
*Dengue vaccine is now available - please ask us for details.
Dr Gowda's top tip for travel to Cuba
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Frequently asked questions
The total cost is likely to vary depending on which vaccinations you need for your trip. You can see the recommended vaccinations and the price per dose in the table above.
Please note; you will need to book a travel consultation before we can administer travel vaccinations and this costs £30 (1 person).
This varies from vaccine to vaccine. A course of Hepatitis A can last up to 25 years but typhoid only covers you for 3 years.
Ideally 4 - 6 weeks to get the all the courses in and so that sufficient time is allowed for your body to respond to the vaccines.
Most of the travel vaccinations have been around for some time and are generally safe. Typhoid can give you fever and muscle aches occasionally but you’ll be ok most of the time. Hepatitis A can occasionally cause headaches.
You should not travel to Cuba if you’re pregnant as Zika virus infection is a risk. Zika virus infection in pregnancy can cause microcephaly (a small head) and other forms of brain damage for the baby.
Yes, generally this isn’t a problem. The doses may need to be simply adjusted. A few vaccines cannot be given in very young children, like typhoid (more than 2 years) or Hepatitis A (more than 1 year).
Yes. Travel vaccinations are even more important if you have underlying medical problems.
For the latest COVID vaccination entry requirements for Cuba, on take a look at the UK Government foreign travel advice website.
You are at very low risk of malaria in Cuba, so we would generally recommend bite avoidance measures rather than malaria tablets. You should try and avoid mosquito bites as much as possible by wearing long sleeved clothing, using insect repellent and sleeping under mosquito nets.
You’re not at risk of yellow fever in Cuba but there is a yellow fever certificate vaccine requirement if you are coming from another country with yellow fever transmission. For International Health Regulations on yellow fever vaccine certificate requirements for Cuba click here.
Cuba packs quite a punch for a relatively small island. The island is a cultural melting pot and its friendly people will gladly share their love of their music, dance and stories. Cuba is renowned for its iconic vintage cars, colonial architecture and of course its famous Havana cigars. If you prefer rest and relaxation, you can head down to beautiful, white sandy beaches like Varadero and Cayo Coco. Cuba has plenty of other activities for the adventurous traveller. You can take a stroll on Malecón, the famous seawall esplanade or through the historic district of Old Havana UNESCO Heritage site.Trinidad, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, is ideal for the history enthusiast. If you really want to experience the local culture, you can head inland into rural Cuba to visit the lush tobacco fields of Viñales and the scenic landscapes of limestone mogotes. Here you can simply unwind and immerse yourself into traditional rural life. Whatever you do, it’s important that you travel safely and we’re here to help with advice on injections for Cuba.
All about Cuba
Additional health advice and risks for Cuba
You may also be at risk of the following diseases:
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Dengue
There is a yellow fever certificate vaccine requirement if you are coming from another country with yellow fever transmission and travelling to Cuba. For International Health Regulations on yellow fever vaccine certificate requirements for Cuba we recommend visiting the World Health Organization.
Cuba vaccine certificate requirements
Authors:
Dr Ravi Gowda, Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Travel Medicine
MBBS, MRCP(UK), DTM&H, MRCGP, DCH, DRCOG, DFFP
Caitlin Lancaster, BSc
Resources: