Vaccines for Tanzania
The checker at the top shows Tanzania with the CDC list; put Kenya or another country before it and the yellow fever line switches from not needed to required.
Travel vaccines CDC lists for most or some travelers on this trip
4 vaccines
plus 3 to discuss and routine vaccines up to date
| Yellow fever | CDC: generally not recommended, may be considered (Tanzania) |
| Malaria | Prescription tablets for areas of Tanzania |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow fever | CDC: generally not recommended, may be considered | Tanzania | 10 days before | $269 |
| Hepatitis A | CDC: most travelers | Tanzania | Any time before | $109 |
| Hepatitis B | CDC: most travelers | Tanzania | 28 days before | $149 |
| Measles | CDC: most travelers | Tanzania | Ask | $115 |
| Typhoid | CDC: most travelers | Tanzania | 14 days before | $174 |
| Cholera | CDC: may be considered | Tanzania | 10 days before | $313 |
| Polio | CDC: may be considered | Tanzania | Any time before | $65 |
| Rabies | CDC: may be considered | Tanzania | 7 days before | $419 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Method and sources · CDC page reviewed August 25, 2026, read October 24, 2026
CDC lists hepatitis A, typhoid and, for unvaccinated travelers younger than 60, hepatitis B for most travelers to Tanzania, on top of routine vaccines with MMR. Yellow fever vaccine is generally not recommended for Tanzania itself, yet Tanzania requires a certificate from travelers aged 1 year or older who arrive from a country with yellow fever risk, and CDC states that airport transits or layovers of more than 12 hours in such a country count. A direct flight from the United States needs no certificate; a safari that starts in Kenya, or a long connection in Addis Ababa, can. Poliovirus has been identified in Tanzania in the past year, so CDC says fully vaccinated adults may receive a single lifetime polio booster. Cholera transmission is widespread and the vaccine may be considered. Malaria tablets are advised for all areas below 1,800 meters. The median US county price is $269 for yellow fever, $65 for the polio booster and $109 a dose of hepatitis A.
A vaccine CDC does not push, a border that may ask for it
Tanzania shows better than most countries that the medical advice and the entry rule are two separate things. On the medical side, CDC's wording is that yellow fever vaccine is "generally not recommended for travel to Tanzania", which leaves room for a clinician to consider it in particular situations. On the legal side, Tanzania applies a classic "from risk countries" rule: travelers aged 1 year or older who come from a country with yellow fever risk must show a certificate, and CDC spells out that this includes airport transits or layovers longer than 12 hours in such a country.
For a traveler from the US, the UK, Canada or Australia flying straight to Kilimanjaro or Dar es Salaam, none of this applies. The rule bites in three common cases. The first is the combined safari, Kenya then the Serengeti, since Kenya is on the risk list. The second is a connection through a risk country with an overnight wait: a stop in Addis Ababa that runs past 12 hours is enough. The third is a longer journey that adds Uganda, Rwanda or Zambia, all three on the list CDC uses. The certificate becomes valid 10 days after the single dose, so a late change of route can leave too little time.
Tanzania certificate, by the country before it
Yellow fever certificate for Tanzania
Required
| CDC vaccine advice | Generally not recommended, may be considered |
| Who must show a certificate | Travelers arriving from risk countries |
| Valid from | 10 days after the shot, for life |
| Published price | $269 median, $226 to $360 |
Set the starting country to "a country with no yellow fever risk" and the verdict changes to not required. At $226 to $360 on the US county lists, the shot is one of the dearer lines of an East African budget; whether it is worth it for a route that does not trigger the rule is a question for a clinician, since CDC does not recommend it for Tanzania alone.
Polio: the line that is easy to miss
Polio appears on the Tanzania page as more than a routine vaccine: poliovirus has been identified there in the past year, travelers face an increased risk of exposure, and CDC has a Level 2 global polio notice in force. Its advice has two branches. Adults who completed a polio series as children may receive a single lifetime booster of inactivated polio vaccine. Travelers who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated are advised to complete a full series before travel, and children behind on their shots may be put on an accelerated schedule. The booster has a median published price of $65, from $48 to $82 across the departments. The polio booster page covers who already had one.
Food, water and the standard trio
Hepatitis A and typhoid are on the "most travelers" part of the Tanzania page, as is hepatitis B for unvaccinated travelers under 60 (those 60 or older may get it). The typhoid shot needs 14 days to take effect, hepatitis A one dose before leaving. Both doses of hepatitis A plus the typhoid shot cost $375 to $560 with visit fees across the departments that publish them, $427 at the median, and a dose of the two dose hepatitis B vaccine $149.
CDC describes cholera transmission as widespread in Tanzania, which is broader than the county by county wording used next door in Kenya. Cholera remains rare in travelers, and vaccination may be considered for children and adults going to areas of active transmission; the oral vaccine costs $313 at the median and has to be taken 10 days before. Rabid dogs are common, rabies is present in some wildlife, and post-bite vaccine may only be available in larger suburban or urban facilities, a point CDC raises for anyone far from a city (two pre-exposure doses: $838 at the median).
Malaria below 1,800 meters
CDC's transmission area for Tanzania is short: all areas below 1,800 meters (5,900 feet). That covers the coast, Zanzibar's beaches and most of the safari country. A climb on Kilimanjaro spends several days above that height, while the towns where most climbs start and end are lower. Chloroquine resistance is reported, P. falciparum causes most cases, and the drugs CDC lists are atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine. For a week below 1,800 meters, atovaquone-proguanil means 16 tablets (about $23 at pharmacy cost) and doxycycline 37. The choice belongs to the prescriber, who also adjusts it for children and pregnancy.
What CDC says for Tanzania, word for word
Source: CDC, Travelers' Health destination page for Tanzania, page last reviewed August 25, 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 2, Global Polio (September 23, 2026) · 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 Tanzania. 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 Tanzania. Unvaccinated travelers 60 years and older may get vaccinated before traveling to Tanzania. |
| 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 generally not recommended for travel to Tanzania. Country entry requirements: • Direct travel from United States: Vaccine is not required. • Travel from countries with risk for YF virus transmission: Vaccine is required for travelers ≥1 year old; this includes >12-hour airport transits or layovers in countries with risk for YF virus transmission. Updated April 23, 2025 See footnotes |
| Malaria | CDC recommends that travelers going to certain areas of Tanzania 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 • All areas below 1,800 m (5,900 ft) elevation Drug resistance • Chloroquine Species • P. falciparum (primarily) • P. malariae and P. ovale (less commonly) • P. vivax (rare) Recommended chemoprophylaxis • Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, tafenoquine Updated April 23, 2025 See footnotes |
| Rabies | Dogs infected with rabies are commonly found in Tanzania. Rabies is also present in some terrestrial wildlife species. If rabies exposures occur while in Tanzania, rabies vaccines may only be available in larger suburban/urban medical facilities. 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. |
| Cholera | Active cholera transmission is widespread in Tanzania. Cholera is rare in travelers. Certain factors may increase the risk of getting cholera or having severe disease (more information). Avoiding unsafe food and water and washing your hands can also help prevent cholera. Vaccination may be considered for children and adults who are traveling to areas of active cholera transmission. |
| Polio | In Tanzania, poliovirus has been identified in the past year. Travelers to Tanzania are at increased risk of exposure to poliovirus. Vaccine recommendations: Adults traveling to Tanzania who received a complete polio vaccination series as children may receive a single lifetime booster dose of inactivated polio vaccine; travelers who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated should receive a complete polio vaccination series before travel. Children who are not fully vaccinated will be considered for an accelerated vaccination schedule. |
| 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. |