Updated
vaccinations for Uganda is a practical consideration every visitor to Uganda should address before departure to ensure a safe and enjoyable safari experience. Yellow fever is the only vaccination Uganda requires for entry, and you must carry the certificate. Travel clinics also usually recommend hepatitis A, typhoid and an up-to-date tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster for all visitors, with hepatitis B, rabies and others depending on your trip. There is no vaccine to rely on for malaria, so you will also need antimalarial tablets. Book a travel clinic appointment six to eight weeks before you leave.
This guide explains each vaccine, why it matters on a gorilla safari, and how to prepare for malaria and other health risks. It is general information; your doctor or travel nurse will advise on what is right for you.
What Vaccinations Are Required for Uganda? Essential Travel Health Guide 2026
Vaccinations at a glance
| Vaccine | Status for Uganda | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow fever | Required for entry | Certificate checked by airlines and at Entebbe |
| Hepatitis A | Recommended for most travellers | Spread through food and water |
| Typhoid | Recommended for most travellers | Spread through food and water, especially outside hotels |
| Tetanus, diphtheria, polio | Keep up to date | Routine booster, important on rough trails |
| Hepatitis B | Consider | Longer stays, medical care, close contact |
| Rabies | Consider | Remote areas far from treatment; animal contact |
| Meningitis, cholera | Sometimes advised | Depends on region, season and current outbreaks |
| Routine vaccines (MMR, flu, COVID-19) | Keep up to date | Also protects the gorillas from human diseases |
Yellow fever: the one that is required
Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne virus present in parts of Uganda, and the country requires all travellers, generally from the age of one, to show a valid vaccination certificate. Airlines often check it at check-in, and immigration may ask for it at Entebbe; you also upload it when applying for the e-visa. The vaccine must be given at an approved yellow fever centre at least ten days before arrival, and the certificate is valid for life.
Some people cannot have the vaccine, including those with certain immune conditions. If that applies to you, your doctor can issue an exemption letter, but check with the airline and Ugandan authorities well in advance. See yellow fever requirements and exemptions and our full guide to Uganda entry requirements.
Food and water vaccines: hepatitis A and typhoid
Hepatitis A and typhoid both spread through contaminated food and water, and they are the most common vaccine-preventable infections among travellers to East Africa. On a typical gorilla safari, you eat mostly at lodges with good hygiene, but you also stop at roadside restaurants on long drives and may try street food such as a rolex. Hepatitis A vaccine gives long-lasting protection after a booster; typhoid vaccine, available as an injection or capsules, lasts a few years and reduces rather than eliminates the risk. Drinking bottled or filtered water and eating freshly cooked food still matter.
Rabies, hepatitis B and others
Rabies is present in Uganda, carried mainly by dogs, and also by bats and monkeys. Gorilla trekkers rarely have contact with animals, but much of a safari is spent far from hospitals that stock rabies treatment. Pre-travel vaccination simplifies treatment after a bite or scratch, which is why many clinics suggest it for remote trips, long stays or travellers working with animals. Whatever you decide, wash any bite thoroughly and seek medical help straight away. Read should gorilla trekkers get the rabies vaccine.
Hepatitis B is often advised for longer stays or anyone likely to need medical treatment. Meningitis vaccination may be suggested for travel in northern Uganda during the dry season, and cholera vaccine is occasionally advised during outbreaks. Your travel clinic will check current outbreaks before recommending these.
Malaria: tablets, not a vaccine
Malaria is the most important health risk for visitors to Uganda, and it is present in most of the country, including the lower areas around the national parks. The malaria vaccines now used for children in Africa are not a substitute for prevention in travellers, so you need antimalarial tablets prescribed by your doctor, typically atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine, taken before, during and after your trip.
Tablets work best together with avoiding bites. Use insect repellent with DEET or picaridin, especially from dusk, sleep under a mosquito net, which most lodges provide, and wear long sleeves in the evening. If you develop a fever during your trip or in the months after you return, seek medical help and mention that you have been to Uganda. See our guide to malaria prevention in Uganda.
A simple travel health kit
Pharmacies in Kampala and Entebbe are well stocked, but there is little near the parks, so carry the basics:
- Your antimalarial tablets and any personal prescriptions, in original packaging
- Insect repellent with DEET or picaridin
- Oral rehydration sachets and an anti-diarrhoea remedy
- Blister plasters, plasters and antiseptic wipes
- Painkillers and antihistamines
- Hand sanitiser and a few face masks for trek day
Why your health also matters to the gorillas
Mountain gorillas share about 98% of our DNA and catch human respiratory infections, which can be fatal to them. Being up to date with routine vaccines such as flu, measles and COVID-19 is good for you and for them. If you have a cough, cold or fever on trek day, tell the ranger: Uganda Wildlife Authority can stop sick visitors from trekking, and the permit is not refunded, so travel insurance with cancellation cover is worth having. Read more in responsible tourism in Uganda.
Frequently asked questions
Visit a travel clinic six to eight weeks before departure. Some vaccines need several doses, and yellow fever must be given at least ten days before arrival.
Generally yes, from the age of one. Babies under nine months are not normally vaccinated, so ask your doctor about travel with infants.
Not for ordinary tourists. Ebola vaccines are used for outbreak responders and contacts. The WHO declared Uganda’s 2026 outbreak over on 27 August 2026.
Yes. Malaria risk is lower at Bwindi’s altitude but not absent, and most trips pass through high-risk lowland areas. Follow your doctor’s advice.
