Travel Vaccines and Advice for Zambia

• Typhoid – Typhoid fever, caused by Salmonella Typhi, is a serious illness transmitted through contaminated food and water. Prevention strategies include vaccination as well as practicing strict hygiene and safe food handling.
• Hepatitis A – Hepatitis A is an infectious liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus, often spread through contaminated food or water, or via direct contact with someone infected. It leads to liver inflammation, potentially impairing its function, and manifests as symptoms like tiredness, stomach pain, nausea, and yellowing of the skin or eyes. The vaccine for hepatitis A offers robust protection against this virus. It is typically given in two doses over a six-month period and is advised for those traveling to regions with higher risk or for people more likely to come into contact with the virus.
• Polio – Polio is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. The polio vaccine effectively prevents this virus. It’s a critical component of routine childhood immunizations worldwide and has been instrumental in nearly eradicating polio globally.
• Yellow Fever – Yellow fever is a serious, potentially fatal viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, characterized by fever, jaundice, and bleeding. The yellow fever vaccine, given as a single injection, offers effective, long-lasting immunity against the virus and is crucial for travelers to and residents of endemic areas in Africa and South America.
• Rabies – Rabies is a lethal disease transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, and vaccination is the key to prevention. Pre-exposure vaccination is advised for individuals at risk, and immediate post-exposure vaccination is crucial if one encounters a potentially rabid animal.
• Hepatitis B – Hepatitis B, a liver infection, is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids. Prevention includes practicing safe behaviors, but the cornerstone of protection is hepatitis B vaccination. This vaccine activates the immune system, generating antibodies that offer potent and enduring defense against the virus.
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) – Measles, mumps, and rubella are viral infections that can spread through close contact and respiratory droplets. Vaccination is the most effective way to halt their transmission. The MMR vaccine, given in two doses, strengthens immunity, reducing the chances of contracting and spreading these diseases.

Malaria is widespread in Zambia. Antimalarials are recommended for all travelers to the country. Atovaquone, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine are often given to travelers to Zambia. Malaria parasite are resistant to chloroquine in the region. Be sure to consult with a travel health specialist on which antimalarials are best for your itinerary and health situation.

The CDC lists mosquito-borne infections as a year-round risk across all of Zambia. Take precautions against mosquito bites regardless of your itinerary, especially between dusk and dawn, when malaria-carrying mosquitoes bite most.

• Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or IR3535 to exposed skin.
• Wear long sleeves and pants in the evening, even when it’s warm.
• Sleep under a mosquito net or in a screened, air-conditioned room.

Tsetse flies are common across Zambia’s national parks, including South Luangwa, Lower Zambezi, and Kafue. They bite through thin fabric, so choose safari clothing in khaki, olive, or tan instead of dark or bright colors.

Antimalarial medication adds a layer of protection that repellent and clothing can’t provide on their own. A Passport Health travel specialist can help you pick the right one for your itinerary and health history.

Contaminated food and water cause more illness travelers to Zambia than any other risk.

Stick to bottled, sealed or boiled water for drinking and brushing your teeth. Check that the seal is intact before you buy. Skip ice unless you know it was made from clean water. Tap water is treated in Lusaka and Livingstone, but standards vary at safari lodges and rural stops. Bottled water is the safer choice throughout your trip.

Food safety follows a similar rule: if you didn’t peel it, cook it or watch it come out of the kitchen hot, be cautious. Skip raw fruits and vegetables unless you’ve washed or peeled them yourself.

These habits lower your risk, but they don’t replace vaccination. The hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines protect against two of the most common food- and waterborne illnesses in Zambia. A Passport Health travel specialist can confirm you’re up to date any needed vaccinations before you go.

• African Sleeping Sickness – Sleeping sickness spreads through the bite of an infected tsetse fly and can turn severe within weeks if untreated. Wear neutral-colored clothing, tsetse flies are drawn to bright and dark colors alike.
• African Tick-Bite Fever – This infection spreads through the bite of an infected tick. It is most common in tall grass and bush across Zambia’s safari areas. Symptoms include fever, headache, and a dark-centered sore at the bite site. Check your skin for ticks after outdoor activity and remove any you find right away.
• Dengue – Dengue spreads through mosquitoes that feed during the day. No dengue vaccine is available for travelers, so daytime repellent is your main defense. Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, and joint pain that can last a week or more.
• Hantavirus – Hantavirus spreads through contact with the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents, usually when dust carrying the virus gets inhaled in an enclosed space . The CDC lists Zambia as a risk area. Avoid disturbing rodent nests, and keep food sealed.
• Leptospirosis – Leptospirosis spreads through contact with urine or body fluids from an infected animal, including swimming or wading in urine-contaminated fresh water or mud. Drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food can also cause infection. Avoid wading or swimming in untreated fresh water, and wear closed shoes on wet or muddy trails.
• Rift Valley Fever – Rift Valley fever spreads through contact with the blood, body fluids, or tissue of infected livestock, or less commonly through mosquito bites. Travelers working with animals or visiting farms are at a higher risk. Avoid handling livestock or raw meat, and keep up standard mosquito precautions as backup.
• Schistosomiasis – Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection that spreads through wading, swimming, bathing, or washing in contaminated freshwater streams, rivers, ponds, or lakes. The parasite enters through skin contact with the water, not through drinking it. Avoid contact with untreated fresh water during your trip.
• Tuberculosis (TB) – Tuberculosis spreads through the air when someone with active TB disease coughs, speaks, or sings nearby, and Zambia carries one of the higher TB burdens in the world. Short-term travelers face little risk, but longer stays, healthcare work or crowded living spaces increase traveler risk. See a doctor if you develop a cough lasting more than three weeks, fever, or night sweats after your trip.