Costa Rica travel vaccines, ready before you fly
Cloud forests and volcanoes, zip-lining through the canopy, surf on the Pacific or wildlife on the Caribbean coast — tell us your plans at Davyhulme Pharmacy and we'll have your jabs and advice sorted before you leave Manchester.
2 current health alerts for Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a wonderful 'pura vida' trip, and for most travellers it's a fairly gentle one on the health side compared with some destinations. That said, a beach-and-rainforest fortnight is a bit different from weeks of remote eco-lodges and jungle hikes, so the vaccines genuinely worth having come down to your route, how long you're away and what you'll be getting up to.
We're your local pharmacy on Davyhulme Road in Urmston, a short hop from Manchester Airport, so there's no need to head into the city for your travel jabs. Bring your dates, a rough itinerary and any record of vaccines you've already had, and our pharmacist will put together a sensible plan. Four to six weeks ahead is ideal, but don't worry if your trip is sooner — there's nearly always something useful we can do.
Vaccines to consider for Costa Rica
Treat this as a starting point — your exact recommendations depend on your route, how long you're away and what you'll be doing, and the pharmacist confirms the final plan with you.
Most travellers
Hepatitis A
Spread through contaminated food and water, and recommended for the great majority of trips to Costa Rica.
Most travellers
Typhoid
Another food- and water-borne infection — worth having, particularly if you're eating widely or heading away from the main resorts.
Most travellers
Tetanus, diphtheria & polio
A good moment to top up your routine UK booster if it's been more than ten years.
Some travellers
Hepatitis B
Considered for longer stays, healthcare or volunteer work, adventure sports, tattoos, piercings or new partners abroad.
Some travellers
Rabies
Present in bats and some animals. Sensible for rural and longer trips, caving, cyclists and runners, and anyone far from prompt medical care.
Malaria & mosquito bites
Here's the reassuring part: malaria risk in Costa Rica is very low, and for the vast majority of trips no antimalarial tablets are needed. The main tourist routes — San Jose, Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and the Pacific coast — are not areas where tablets are usually recommended. Where any low-level risk lingers it tends to be in parts of the Caribbean lowlands, including areas of Limon province. Even there, tablets aren't automatically advised, so the right answer really does depend on exactly where you're going. Tell the pharmacist your route and we'll give you a clear, honest steer rather than a blanket yes or no. Either way, good bite avoidance is worth it everywhere you go.
Dengue, Zika and chikungunya
Mosquitoes are the bigger story in Costa Rica, and dengue is the main one to know about. It's common across much of the country, especially in the warmer, wetter months and at lower altitudes, and it's carried by daytime-biting mosquitoes — so repellent matters during the day, not just in the evening. There's no routine tablet or jab for dengue here, which makes bite avoidance your main protection: a DEET-based repellent on exposed skin, loose covering clothing, and a net or air-conditioned room. Zika and chikungunya are also present. Zika is usually mild but can cause serious problems in pregnancy, so if you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy please have a word with us before you book — the advice is more cautious and we'll talk it through properly.
Yellow fever: no risk here, but check your route
There's no yellow fever in Costa Rica, so you don't need the vaccine to protect yourself while you're there. The thing to watch is the certificate. Costa Rica asks travellers arriving from certain countries where yellow fever is present — parts of mainland Africa and South America — to show proof of vaccination on entry. If you're flying straight from the UK this won't apply to you. But if your trip includes an earlier leg or stopover in a yellow fever country, the certificate may be required, and the jab needs to be given at least ten days before you travel to count. Tell us your full route and we'll check whether it applies and sort the vaccine and certificate in good time.
Food, water and an upset stomach
Costa Rica's tap water is treated and considered safe to drink in many areas, particularly around San Jose and the main tourist spots, but it can vary in more remote and rural places — so bottled or treated water is the safer bet when you're off the beaten track. An upset stomach is still one of the more common things travellers bring home, usually from food rather than anything serious. Sticking to freshly cooked hot food, fruit you peel yourself and being a little careful with ice and salads where the water's less reliable goes a long way. Hepatitis A and typhoid cover the more serious food-and-water infections, and we can put together a simple travel kit with rehydration sachets so a dodgy meal stays a minor blip.
Frequently asked questions
For most trips, no. Malaria risk is very low, and the popular routes — San Jose, Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio and the Pacific coast — don't usually call for tablets. Any low-level risk that remains is mainly in parts of the Caribbean lowlands, and even there tablets aren't automatic. Tell us exactly where you're going and we'll advise honestly.
For a typical trip, hepatitis A and typhoid are the ones most travellers consider, along with making sure your tetanus, diphtheria and polio booster is up to date. Depending on your plans, hepatitis B or rabies may be worth adding for longer, rural or more adventurous trips. We'll tailor it to your route at your appointment.
It's the main mosquito-borne risk in Costa Rica and worth taking seriously, but it's very manageable with sensible precautions. There's no routine jab or tablet for it here, so bite avoidance does the heavy lifting: a DEET-based repellent, covering up, and a net or air-conditioned room. These mosquitoes bite in the daytime too, so don't save the repellent for the evening.
Not if you're flying straight from the UK — there's no yellow fever in Costa Rica and you won't need a certificate. It's only required if you're arriving after visiting a country where yellow fever is a risk, such as parts of Africa or South America on a multi-stop trip. If that's your route, let us know and we'll check and sort it in good time.
Yes — your full travel consultation and any vaccines are done here at Davyhulme Pharmacy by our pharmacist, so there's no trek into Manchester city centre. Just bring your itinerary and any record of past jabs, or give us a call on 0161 748 3016, and we'll take care of the rest.
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.
Planning a trip to Costa Rica?
Bring your itinerary to Davyhulme Pharmacy in Urmston and we'll sort the right vaccines and advice — book online or call us on 0161 748 3016.