Vaccines for Mexico
The checker at the top is set on Mexico with the CDC list, the malaria states and the published US price of each shot; add a second country if the trip continues south.
Travel vaccines CDC lists for most or some travelers on this trip
4 vaccines
plus 2 to discuss and routine vaccines up to date
| Yellow fever | Not needed on this route (Mexico) |
| Malaria | Prescription tablets for areas of Mexico |
| Longest lead time | 28 days before departure (Hepatitis B, 2 doses (Heplisav-B)) |
| Published price, these vaccines | $614 median, $564 to $830 |
Levels from the CDC destination pages; age 35 used for the Japanese encephalitis schedule. A list to take to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist, not medical advice.
| Disease | CDC level | Where | Start at least | Median price per dose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis A | CDC: most travelers | Mexico | Any time before | $109 |
| Hepatitis B | CDC: most travelers | Mexico | 28 days before | $149 |
| Measles | CDC: most travelers | Mexico | Ask | $115 |
| Typhoid | CDC: most travelers | Mexico | 14 days before | $174 |
| Chikungunya | CDC: may be considered | Mexico | Any time before | $326 |
| Rabies | CDC: may be considered | Mexico | 7 days before | $419 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Method and sources · CDC page reviewed September 3, 2026, read October 24, 2026
For Mexico, CDC lists hepatitis A, typhoid and, for unvaccinated travelers younger than 60, hepatitis B for most travelers, with routine vaccines such as MMR checked before departure. Yellow fever plays no part: CDC does not recommend the vaccine and Mexico asks no certificate. Malaria tablets are advised only for Campeche, Chiapas and the southern part of Chihuahua state; Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Sonora and Tabasco have rare cases with bite precautions only, and CDC reports no transmission along the US and Mexico border. All infections there are P. vivax and no drug resistance is reported, so CDC lists six drugs, chloroquine and primaquine among them. Rabies and chikungunya are in the consider group, the latter for stays of six months or more. At US county health departments, a dose of hepatitis A has a median price of $109 and the typhoid shot $174; both hepatitis A doses and the typhoid shot, with visit fees, come to $427 at the median.
A list built around food and water
The Mexico page on CDC's site is short on exotic entries. Its core is two vaccines against infections that travel through what people eat and drink: hepatitis A, listed for unvaccinated travelers aged 1 year or older, and typhoid, listed for most travelers. That applies to a long weekend in Cancún or Los Cabos as much as to a month of street food in Mexico City and Oaxaca. Hepatitis B sits on the same "most travelers" line for unvaccinated travelers under 60, with older travelers free to get it.
The typhoid vaccine comes in two forms, and the two differ in timing and price. The shot is one injection given at least 14 days before travel, at $140 to $203 on US county lists. The oral vaccine is a pack of capsules taken every other day, to be started at least 13 days before departure, at a median of $121. Hepatitis A needs only its first dose before leaving; the second, months later, makes the protection long lasting. CDC adds a reminder that matters in a country with so much roadside food: typhoid vaccine is not 100% effective, so the food and water habits still count.
Hepatitis A and typhoid for Mexico
Self-pay cost of these travel vaccines
$427
| Hepatitis A, 2 doses | $217 |
| Typhoid, injection, 1 dose | $174 |
No yellow fever, in either direction
On the CDC page for Mexico, yellow fever has no practical consequence: the vaccine is not recommended and the country asks no certificate, whatever the route. A traveler coming up from Colombia or Peru is not asked for one at a Mexican border either. The only way Mexico enters the yellow fever question is as a stop on a longer journey, when the next country has its own rule. The certificate rules page lists those countries.
Malaria: three states, one species
CDC names Campeche, Chiapas and the southern part of Chihuahua state as the places where prescription medicine is advised. Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Sonora and Tabasco are listed with rare cases, where CDC recommends insect bite precautions and mosquito avoidance only. The main resort areas (the Riviera Maya in Quintana Roo, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos) are not among the states CDC names, and CDC states that there is no transmission along the border with the United States. A trip to the Maya sites of Palenque in Chiapas or Calakmul in Campeche, on the other hand, enters the medicine zone.
Mexico's malaria is unusual in two ways that shape the drug list. CDC reports P. vivax as 100% of infections and no drug resistance. For Campeche, Chiapas and southern Chihuahua it therefore lists six options: atovaquone-proguanil, chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine, primaquine and tafenoquine. For a week in the area, chloroquine means 7 weekly tablets (about $46 at pharmacy cost), atovaquone-proguanil 16 daily tablets (about $23), primaquine 32 tablets at the adult dose. Children, pregnancy and G6PD status all change which of these fits, which is why a prescriber makes the choice.
Malaria tablets for Chiapas or Campeche
Chloroquine for 7 days in Mexico
7 tablets
| CDC for this country | Prescription medicine for the areas listed |
| Drugs CDC lists here | Atovaquone-proguanil, Doxycycline, Mefloquine, Chloroquine, Primaquine, Tafenoquine |
| Start and stop | weekly, from 14 days before to 28 days after |
Rabies, chikungunya and the long stay
CDC's rabies wording for Mexico is milder than for much of Africa or Asia: dogs with rabies are sometimes found, rabies is commonly found in some wildlife, and rabies vaccine after a bite is typically available throughout most of the country. Pre-exposure shots, $838 for two doses at the median, are something to discuss with a clinician mainly for cave visits, wildlife work or remote travel. Chikungunya vaccine may be considered for people traveling or moving to Mexico for an extended period, CDC's example being six months or more; it is a single dose at $326 at the median. CDC has also posted a Level 1 notice on Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Mexico; its page gives the details. Retirees and remote workers settling in Mexico are the group for whom the hepatitis B line and these two consider entries weigh most.
What CDC says for Mexico, word for word
Source: CDC, Travelers' Health destination page for Mexico, page last reviewed September 3, 2026, read on October 24, 2026. The text is reproduced without change; it is available free of charge on cdc.gov. Its use here does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.
Travel notices: Level 1, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Mexico (December 23, 2025) · Level 1, Global Measles (May 28, 2025)
| Disease | CDC wording |
|---|---|
| Routine vaccines | Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip. Some of these vaccines include • Chickenpox (Varicella) • Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, Tdap, or Td) • Flu (influenza) • Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) • Polio • Shingles |
| COVID-19 | All eligible travelers should be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. Please see Your COVID-19 Vaccination for more information. |
| Hepatitis A | Recommended for unvaccinated travelers one year old or older going to Mexico. Infants 6 to 11 months old should also be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. The dose does not count toward the routine 2-dose series. Travelers allergic to a vaccine component should receive a single dose of immune globulin, which provides effective protection for up to 2 months depending on dosage given. Unvaccinated travelers who are over 40 years old, are immunocompromised, or have chronic medical conditions planning to depart to a risk area in less than 2 weeks should get the initial dose of vaccine and at the same appointment receive immune globulin. |
| Hepatitis B | Recommended for unvaccinated travelers younger than 60 years old traveling to Mexico. Unvaccinated travelers 60 years and older may get vaccinated before traveling to Mexico. |
| Typhoid | Recommended for most travelers. Typhoid vaccine is not 100% effective. Practicing safe food and water habits, including washing hands at key times, can also help prevent typhoid fever. |
| Yellow Fever | CDC recommendations: Vaccine is not recommended. Country entry requirements: Vaccine is not required. Updated April 23, 2025 |
| Malaria | CDC recommends that travelers going to certain areas of Mexico take prescription medicine to prevent malaria. Depending on the medicine you take, you will need to start taking this medicine multiple days before your trip, as well as during and after your trip. Talk to your doctor about which malaria medication you should take. Transmission areas • Campeche, Chiapas, and the southern part of Chihuahua state • Rare in the states of Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Sonora, and Tabasco • No malaria transmission along the U.S.–Mexico border Drug resistance • None Species • P. vivax (100%) Recommended chemoprophylaxis • Campeche, Chiapas, and the southern part of Chihuahua state: Atovaquone-proguanil, chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine, primaquine, tafenoquine • All other areas with malaria transmission: No chemoprophylaxis recommended (insect bite precautions and mosquito avoidance only) Updated April 23, 2025 See footnotes |
| Rabies | Dogs infected with rabies are sometimes found in Mexico. Rabies is also commonly found in some terrestrial wildlife species. If rabies exposures occur while in Mexico, rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country. Rabies pre-exposure vaccination considerations include whether travelers 1) will be performing occupational or recreational activities that increase risk for exposure to potentially rabid animals and 2) might have difficulty getting prompt access to safe post-exposure prophylaxis. Please consult with a healthcare provider to determine whether you should receive pre-exposure vaccination before travel. For more information, see country rabies status assessments. |
| Chikungunya | There is elevated chikungunya risk in Mexico. Chikungunya vaccination may be considered for people traveling or moving to this location if they are planning to stay for an extended period of time (for example, 6 months or more). |
| Measles | Cases of measles are on the rise worldwide. Travelers are at risk of measles if they have not been fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure, or have not had measles in the past, and travel internationally to areas where measles is spreading. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, including an early dose for infants 6–11 months, according to CDC’s measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. |
| Monkeypox | Monkeypox vaccination is recommended for any adult who anticipates any of the following activities during travel: • Sexual or intimate contact with a new partner • Sexual or intimate contact at a commercial sex venue, like a sex club or bathhouse • Sexual or intimate contact in exchange for money, goods, drugs, or other trade • Sexual or intimate contact in association with a large public event, such as a rave, party, or festival Get your first monkeypox vaccine at least 6 weeks before traveling if you can, or as far as possible before travel if fewer than 6 weeks before you leave. Two doses of vaccine, given 4 weeks apart, are recommended. After completing your first and second vaccine doses it takes about 2 more weeks to get the best protection against monkeypox. Whether or not you've been vaccinated, continue to take steps to reduce your risk of getting monkeypox while you are away. |