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Many of the trips to the Gambia are beach resort holidays. For nature enthusiasts, other attractions also include birdwatching, Abuko nature reserve and the Bijilo Forest Park. Or you might simply be yearning for a bit of rest and relaxation on the beach, but remember whatever you do, you will need jabs for Gambia, and you need to budget for this too. Firstly, you should ensure you’re up-to-date with your MMR, tetanus and diphtheria vaccines. It's a relaxed pace of life in Gambia, so it's easy to overlook the fact that you’re travelling to a tropical, West African country. This means that you’ll need to consider other specialist Gambia travel injections. These may include; yellow fever, hepatitis B, rabies and meningitis ACWY (as Gambia is within the ‘meningitis belt’) What vaccines you need really depends on your individual risk and your activities. During our travel risk assessment we’ll confirm the right injections needed for Gambia; this will be specific to your personal circumstances and your itinerary. As a guide, we've created this simple table which summarises all the jabs for Gambia you might need.
What travel vaccinations do I need for Gambia?
Dr Ravi Gowda, Consultant in Infectious Diseases or one of his highly trained clinical colleagues will be looking after your Gambia vaccine requirements. Find out more about the Health Klinix team.
Who will be providing your travel injections for Gambia?
"Even though you may just be heading to the beach, you’re at risk of yellow fever infection throughout Gambia and West Africa. The yellow fever virus is transmitted from daytime biting mosquitoes and if you develop symptoms, you can become very ill as there is no specific treatment. There have been cases of travellers returning from Gambia with yellow fever even after short trips to Gambia. So, make sure that you receive the yellow fever vaccine before you travel."
Dr Gowda's top tip for travel to Gambia
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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 will really depend on the vaccinations needed. So one shot of the yellow fever vaccine will now last a lifetime but two doses of cholera would only offer protection for 2 years. Take a look at our individual vaccine pages for more information.
We recommend 4 - 6 weeks before you travel. However, we know that this is not always possible, especially if you’ve booked something last minute. It’s still worth having the vaccines late as you’ll have some protection rather than nothing. We can also accelerate any vaccine courses over a shorter period of time if needed.
Most travel vaccines to Gambia are well tolerated. Even the yellow fever vaccine has minimal side-effects as long as you've had a thorough risk assessment to make sure it’s safe for you to have it.
If you're pregnant, we’d advise you not to travel to Gambia as there’s a high risk of malaria unless it’s essential. Malaria in pregnancy can be very severe and can potentially harm the baby too.
Nearly all vaccination can be given to children albeit at a lower dose. There are, however, age restrictions on some of the vaccines:
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The yellow fever vaccine - not less 9 months
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Hepatitis A vaccine- 1yr or over
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Typhoid vaccine - 2 years or over
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Yes, you can. In fact, you might be at higher risk of severe illness from tropical infections if you have other medical issues, so it’s even more important that you have all the recommended travel vaccinations for Gambia.
You’re generally at high risk of malaria in Gambia and we would recommend taking malaria tablets. Even if you're taking malaria tablets in Gambia, it’s important to be aware that they’re not 100% effective. You should also make sure you avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellent and sleeping under mosquito nets.
We've created a helpful table as a guide to explain which malaria tablets for Gambia you need, although this will depend upon your individual circumstances, so please ask us for advice.
Recommended malaria tablets for Gambia
You’re at risk of yellow fever in Gambia, so we recommend the Yellow fever vaccine for most travellers.
Yellow fever is a serious viral infection transmitted through the bite of mosquitoes. They bite mainly during the daytime and are common in both rural and urban areas of Gambia. Sometimes you don’t get any symptoms but if you do then you can be very sick. There’s no specific treatment such as antivirals but there is an effective vaccination.
Yellow fever risk map for Gambia
Source: CDC. Use of these images does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by the CDC
Gambia, despite being the smallest nation on the continent of Africa, has so much to offer. Although it’s completely landlocked by Senegal except for its pristine beaches on the Atlantic ocean to the west, it’s still an ideal sun, sea and beach holiday in the cold winter months of the Northern Hemisphere. Banjul, the bustling capital of the country, has lively markets and a national museum where you can immerse yourself in the local culture and mingle amongst ‘the smiling people’. For nature lovers, Gambia has a wide array of national parks, with the River Gambia National Park designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here you will see a diverse range of bird species, crocodiles and hippos. If you really want to experience the country, why not visit some of the traditional villages? Try and learn a few words of the local languages, Mandinka and Wolof, and you’ll really connect with the real Gambia and its warm and welcoming people. Whatever you do, it’s important that you travel safely, so we recommend contacting us for advice on the injections needed for Gambia.
All about Gambia
Additional health advice and risks for Gambia
You may also be at risk of the following diseases:
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Dengue
As with many countries where there’s a possibility of yellow fever disease, there are two questions that every traveller must address. The first is, ‘Am I at risk of yellow fever disease’? Which we answer above. The second question is, ‘Will I require a yellow fever vaccine certificate to enter the country? If you've travelled through another country where there’s yellow fever transmission (this may include travellers with prolonged transit times) you may need a yellow fever vaccine certificate. It’s worth checking with your airline or the Gambian consulate if you’re not sure or alternatively you can check for specific yellow fever information at the World Health Organization.
Gambia 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: