Travellers

Vaccination is a safe and effective way to stop yourself from catching diseases while you’re overseas. If you have medically at-risk conditions, you may need extra vaccines. Talk to your GP for more information.

Why you need to get vaccinated

Travel vaccinations are important because:

• you may be at risk from disease through contaminated water or food, contact with infected people, cuts, insect or animal bites
• some diseases are more common in certain countries
• they protect you against diseases
• they protect the health of others because you don’t spread diseases
• they protect you from expensive medical bills, if you were to get the disease and get sick overseas
• they give you peace of mind so you can enjoy your trip to the fullest.

Diseases you may be at risk of

Some diseases are more common outside Australia, because of this you may be at risk of:

• COVID-19
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Influenza
• Japanese encephalitis
• Meningococcal
• Rabies
• Tuberculosis
• Typhoid
• Chickenpox (varicella)
• Yellow fever
• Cholera
• Measles, mumps and rubella.

What vaccines you need

There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to travel vaccinations. Countries have different vaccination requirements, and your needs and travel itinerary will be different to someone else’s. The vaccines you need will depend on:

• where you’re going
• your age
• your medical conditions
• your vaccination history
• the season you’re traveling in
• if you’re pregnant or planning to be.

Talk to your GP, travel doctor, or other health provider to find out what vaccinations you’ll need.

When to get vaccinated

Visit your GP or travel doctor 6 to 12 weeks before your trip because:

• you may need multiple doses of vaccines
• your body might need time to develop full immunity
• you may need a booster dose of a vaccine even if you’ve had it before.

If you can’t visit your GP or travel doctor 6 to 12 weeks before, visit them as soon as possible to find out what you need to do.

For more information about vaccinations and travel visit the SmartTraveller website.

COVID-19 and travel

Before you travel overseas, check the latest advice on the SmartTraveller website.

You should also check what you need to do before you return to Australia. Find out more on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Where to get vaccinated

Getting vaccinated is easy. You can get most vaccines from your GP or health provider. Find out where to get vaccinated.