Travel vaccines for South Africa

Travel vaccines for South Africa at a glance

South Africa itself is not a Yellow Fever risk country, but it has a real malaria risk in the Kruger and a real Hep A, Typhoid and Rabies background. NaTHNaC recommends Hep A and Typhoid for most travellers, Hep B for medical, dental or tattoo risk, and Rabies for safari and rural trips. Aqua Travel Clinic in West Hampstead is a NaTHNaC-designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre and can certify the ICVP if you are transiting a YF country.

Hepatitis A and Typhoid for South Africa

Standard for Cape Town, the Garden Route, Kruger lodges and townships. Both can be given together as Viatim (one injection) or separately. Hep A protects for around 12 months from a single dose (25 years with a booster); Typhoid protects for around 3 years. Worth doing even for a one-week wine country trip.

Hepatitis B

Recommended for anyone who might need medical or dental care abroad, get a tattoo or piercing, or have new sexual partners. The standard schedule is three doses over six months, but rapid 0, 7, 21 day schedules are available if you are leaving soon. If you have not had Hep A yet, Twinrix covers both in one course.

Rabies for safari

Rabies is endemic in South Africa, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. Risk on a high-end Kruger or Sabi Sand safari is low, but pre-exposure vaccination is recommended for self-drive safari, rural travel, longer stays and all children. Two doses on days 0 and 7. If you are bitten or scratched, you still need urgent medical care, but you do not need immunoglobulin and the post-exposure course is much shorter.

Malaria in the Kruger and low-veld

Malaria is a year-round risk in the Kruger National Park and the low-veld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, with peak transmission from September to May. KwaZulu-Natal also has some malaria areas. Cape Town, the Garden Route, the Western Cape, the Karoo and Johannesburg are not malaria areas. The pharmacist will prescribe the right antimalarial (atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine) based on your itinerary, plus written advice on DEET, nets and clothing.

Yellow Fever and the transit rule

South Africa itself is not a Yellow Fever risk country, so direct flights from London do not need YF vaccination. However, South Africa requires an ICVP certificate if you are arriving from a YF risk country (most of sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America), including transit stops of more than 12 hours. Common catch-out routes include flights via Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Lagos and Sao Paulo, and combined trips with Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda or Zambia. Aqua is a NaTHNaC-designated YF centre and can vaccinate, sign and stamp the ICVP in the same appointment.

Cape Town, Garden Route and wine country

The Western Cape is low risk for vaccine-preventable disease. The bigger issues are sun and heat in summer (December to February), and personal safety in some parts of central Cape Town and Johannesburg. Stick to recommended areas, use ride-hailing apps at night, and treat the Garden Route like the long drive it is, with sensible breaks and water.

Book your appointment

Aqua Travel Clinic is at 59 Mill Lane, West Hampstead NW6 1NB, one minute from West Hampstead station. The clinic is operated by Aqua Pharmacy (GPhC premises 1123406), part of Naspram Pharma Limited. All consultations are supervised by Superintendent Pharmacist Sanjay Mukundkumar Patel (GPhC 2045157). Book your South Africa travel vaccines online. Most travellers are sorted in a single 15-minute appointment, including a Kruger malaria prescription and ICVP if needed.