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Uganda is famous for its rainforests and national parks. It's a great place for seeing not only the big game on safari, but you may also be lucky enough to see the elusive highland gorillas in the iconic Bwindi impenetrable Forest. So what are the Uganda vaccine requirements? To start with, you should make sure that you're up to date with all your childhood vaccinations. In particular, make sure you've had a tetanus jab in the last 10 years, and you've had at least two MMR vaccines in your life. Other vaccines include diphtheria and polio. Next, think about food and waterborne diseases you might be at risk of. Typhoid and hepatitis A vaccines are important jabs needed for Uganda. The cholera vaccine is also something that you’ll need to consider if you’re visiting areas of poor sanitation and food hygiene. Finally, you need to consider the specialist vaccinations for Uganda. The yellow fever vaccine is a mandatory vaccination requirement for entry to the country. Just remember this is a live vaccine which means that it may not be safe for some individuals, for example if you have a weakened immune system. Rabies, hepatitis B and meningitis ACWY vaccines are other possible injections also needed for Uganda. The various vaccinations you may need can be quite confusing at first, but once you’ve had a chat with us, we can ease you through the process. To begin with just have a look at our table below which gives you an idea of the various jabs needed for Uganda.
What travel vaccinations do I need for Uganda?
Dr Ravi Gowda, Consultant in Infectious Diseases or one of his highly trained clinical colleagues will be looking after your vaccine requirements. Find out more about the Health Klinix team.
Who will be providing your travel injections for Uganda?
"If your skin is exposed to freshwater, you’re at risk of schistosomiasis, a common parasitic infection that occurs in many parts of Africa. This can occur for example, when you bathe or swim in freshwater, and Uganda is part of the largest freshwater lake in Africa, Lake Victoria! If you think you might be exposed please contact us for advice."
Dr Gowda's top tip for travel to Uganda
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Frequently asked questions
How long travel vaccinations last can vary depending on the vaccine. To give you an example, yellow fever vaccination is lifelong but you’ll need to renew your cholera vaccination course every 2 years.
Please note: you will need to book a travel consultation before we can administer travel vaccinations and this costs £30 (1 person).
Uganda is a complex destination for travel health advice so you should really start preparing 4 - 6 weeks before travel. If you’re a last minute traveller, chat to us as we’ll still be able to help.
Most travel vaccinations have very few side effects. The live yellow fever vaccine has been around for decades so we know it’s generally safe but if you have certain underlying conditions then you must not have the vaccine. These include cancer, chemotherapy, if you’re taking high dose steroids and any other drugs that might weaken your immune system.
If the benefits outweigh the risks then your travel health specialist may recommend inactivated, but not live vaccines. If you do opt for an expert travel consultation, we will also discuss non-vaccine preventable conditions that you might also be at risk of during your journey. For example, Zika virus infection is present in Uganda and a risk to the pregnant traveller. We know Zika virus infection exists in East Africa because Zika virus was first discovered in the Zika forest in Uganda itself, in the 1950s.
If you're pregnant you'll need a complex travel consultation which is £95, this allows us to fully review your health aligned to your travel plans and provide you with the best vaccination advice for you.
Yes, this shouldn’t be a problem but some vaccines will have paediatric doses. If your child is less than 9 months then they won’t be able to have the yellow fever vaccine and you’ll need to obtain a yellow fever vaccination exemption certificate, which we can provide.
It would be even more important for you to have all the recommended vaccines for Uganda if you have other medical problems as you may be more unwell than a healthy person.
Recommended malaria tablets for Uganda
Malaria risk map for Uganda
Travelhealthpro.co.uk
You’re at high risk of malaria in Uganda and we would recommend you take malaria tablets.
If you’re only travelling to high altitude destinations ( >2500m) we would usually recommend bite avoidance, however, in some circumstances you may need malaria tablets. Examples include, prolonged stay in rural areas, the elderly, those with weakened immune systems or multiple medical problems. So, please check with us first.Which malaria tablets should I take for Uganda? To help answer this, we’ve created a helpful table below.
Although you should be taking malaria tablets in Uganda it’s not 100% effective. It's still important that you are aware of the risk of malaria. Make sure you avoid mosquito bites by using insect repellent and sleeping under mosquito nets.You’re at risk of yellow fever in all parts of Uganda, so we would recommend protecting yourself with the yellow fever vaccination. In fact, yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for all individuals entering the country.
Just remember, this is a live vaccine which means that it may not be safe for some individuals, for example if you have a weakened immune system. If you think you might not be able to receive the vaccine then you should try and obtain a yellow fever exemption certificate before you travel. This exemption certificate can be obtained from any yellow fever vaccination centre (like Health Klinix); in fact there’s a dedicated website that provides a list of the centres in the UK.
Please ask us for advice if you have any questions about yellow fever and the vaccination.
Yellow fever risk map for Uganda
Source: CDC. Use of these images does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by the CDC
Uganda is the well kept secret of the African subcontinent. It’s a landlocked country in East-Central Africa and shares the largest tropical lake in the world with two other countries. Why you should not miss Uganda: - It boasts misty, cloud covered, emerald rainforests - Is home to the famed mountain gorillas - Its natural beauty is further exemplified by snow capped mountains and its vast savannahs - The Bwindi impenetrable forest and Queen Elizabeth national parks are rich in biodiversity with almost 400 species of plants, 350 species of birds and more than 120 mammals - Uganda is also famous for being the source of The Great Nile River Things to watch out for: - Boating on Lake Victoria can be dangerous as the weather can change rapidly. Make sure you book any trips with reputable operators - Lake Victoria is home to hippos and Nile crocodiles. Swim at your peril! - Freshwater lakes harbour Schistosomiasis - a free swimming parasite that can infect you by penetrating your skin leading to serious long term consequences - There have been recent outbreaks of Ebola in Uganda - Take care in some parts of the country as there can be security risks Uganda can present varied risks for the traveller. So whatever you do, it’s important that you travel safely - we’re here for advice on all your Uganda vaccine requirements.
All about Uganda
Additional health advice and risks for Uganda
You may also be at risk of the following diseases:
When travelling to Uganda, you will need to follow specific yellow fever vaccine certificate requirements, and provide proof of vaccination in order to enter the country. Here at Health Klinix, we can supply you with your vaccination approval certificate.
Uganda 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: