South-East Asia travel vaccines
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines and more — we'll match your vaccines and malaria advice to your route, whether it's a two-week beach break or six months on the road.
South-East Asia is one of the most popular trips we help people from Urmston and across Manchester prepare for — and the right vaccines depend a lot on where you're going, for how long, and what you'll be doing. A fortnight in resorts is very different from months of rural backpacking.
Tell our pharmacist your itinerary and we'll talk you through what's worth having, the risk of malaria on your route, and how to avoid the food, water and mosquito-borne illnesses that catch travellers out. Most jabs can be done in the same visit.
Vaccines to consider for South-East Asia
This is a general guide for the region — your exact recommendations depend on the countries, areas and length of your trip.
Most travellers
Hepatitis A
Food- and water-borne — one of the most commonly recommended jabs for the region.
Most travellers
Typhoid
Also spread through contaminated food and water, especially away from main resorts.
Tetanus, diphtheria & polio
A good moment to make sure your routine booster is up to date.
Hepatitis B
Worth considering for longer trips, or if you might have medical or dental treatment, tattoos or new partners.
Japanese encephalitis
A mosquito-borne risk for longer or rural stays, particularly around rice paddies and farming areas.
Rabies
Carried by dogs, monkeys and bats — worth considering for remote areas or if you'll be far from good medical care.
Malaria and mosquito bites
Malaria risk in South-East Asia is patchy — many tourist areas are low-risk, while some rural and border regions carry more. Our pharmacist will check your specific route and advise whether antimalarial tablets are sensible. Either way, avoiding mosquito bites matters: dengue is widespread across the region and there's no tablet for it, so insect repellent, covering up at dawn and dusk, and a treated net for rural stays all help.
Food, water and the usual travel tummy
Stomach upsets are the most common thing travellers bring home from the region. Sticking to bottled or treated water, hot freshly-cooked food and peelable fruit goes a long way. We can also talk you through a travellers' diarrhoea kit so you're prepared if it happens far from a pharmacy.
Planning a longer or multi-country trip?
If you're backpacking for months or hopping between several countries, come and see us earlier — some vaccines, like rabies and Japanese encephalitis, are given as a short course over a few weeks. Bring a rough itinerary and we'll build a plan around it.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on exactly where you're going. Many popular areas are low-risk and don't need tablets, while some rural and border regions do. Our pharmacist will check your route and give you a clear recommendation.
Ideally 4–6 weeks ahead, especially for longer trips, as some vaccines are given as a course. If you're leaving sooner, still come in — there's usually something worthwhile we can do.
For most travellers the focus is on avoiding mosquito bites rather than vaccination. We'll talk you through repellents and bite-avoidance, which also help against other mosquito-borne illnesses.
Usually yes — most travellers can have their jabs in a single visit. Courses like rabies are the exception and need planning in advance.
Sources & further reading
This information is grounded in NHS and TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) guidance and is for general information — not a substitute for a personal consultation. Your travel consultation is carried out by our pharmacist.
Plan your South-East Asia trip with us
Bring your itinerary and we'll sort the vaccines and advice. Book online or give the pharmacy a call.