What vaccines do I need for Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, etc.)?

Last reviewed: 2026-06-14

Quick answer

For Southeast Asia, first make sure your routine vaccines are up to date. Depending on the destination, length of stay and activities, commonly recommended travel vaccines include hepatitis A and typhoid (spread through contaminated food and water), Japanese encephalitis (long rural stays or heavy outdoor activity in the transmission season), and rabies (animal contact, remote or long trips). Some areas also carry a malaria risk, but malaria is prevented with medication, not a vaccine. See the DH Travel Health Centre or your family doctor 6 to 8 weeks before departure for advice tailored to your itinerary.

Southeast Asia spans Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and more, and your travel-vaccine needs depend on which country you visit, how long you stay, and what you do there.

First, make sure your routine vaccines are up to date

Before departure, check that measles, rubella (MMR), diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and polio are complete and current.

Commonly recommended travel vaccines

Hepatitis A: spread through contaminated food and water, with higher risk where sanitation varies — one of the more commonly recommended vaccines for the region.
Typhoid: also spread through contaminated food and water. Hong Kong offers both an injectable inactivated vaccine and an oral live attenuated vaccine.
Japanese encephalitis: mosquito-borne and found mainly in rural areas. Recommended for travellers staying a month or more in endemic areas, or with significant rural outdoor or night-time activity during the transmission season.
Rabies: consider pre-exposure vaccination if you'll have animal contact, visit remote areas with limited medical access, or travel for a long time.
Hepatitis B: depending on length of stay and personal risk.

Malaria (not a vaccine)

Some rural and border areas of Southeast Asia carry a malaria risk. There's no traveller's vaccine for malaria — it's managed with preventive medication and mosquito-bite precautions. Whether you need medication should be assessed by a doctor based on your itinerary.

What to do

Travel-vaccine needs across Southeast Asia vary widely, so see the DH Travel Health Centre or your family doctor 6 to 8 weeks before departure for advice tailored to your specific destinations and itinerary.

Answer six short questions to see which vaccines are worth discussing with your GP, and why.

Based on your age, health, and travel plans, using HK Department of Health and CDC guidance. A ranked list of vaccines, with the reason each one applies to you.

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