Vaccines (Vaccinations) for Those Studying or Traveling in "North Africa, East Africa, Central Africa and West Africa"
Target Regions
Congo, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, etc.
In Africa, the risk of mosquito-borne infections such as malaria and yellow fever is high, and in tropical areas in particular, mosquito-bite prevention and prophylaxis are necessary.
In some countries, presentation of a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required.
The hepatitis A vaccine is strongly recommended. In addition, in the meningitis belt, the meningococcal vaccine is recommended.
The rabies vaccine, the typhoid vaccine and vaccines for epidemic viral diseases such as measles are also recommended.
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Recommended Vaccines
| Vaccine | Level of recommendation | Vaccines available | Number of doses | Price (all tax included) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yellow fever | ◎ applicable regions | Vaccination is available only at quarantine stations, etc. We cannot provide it at our clinic. | ||
| measles | ◎ | MMR (Priorix or MMRⅡ) | 1 to 2 doses | 10,000 yen |
| rubella | ||||
| tetanus※1※3 | ◎ | tetanus toxoid | 1 or 3 doses★ | 4,000 yen |
| hepatitis A※2 | ◎ | Aimmugen | 3 doses | 16,500 yen |
| Havisure | 2 doses | 13,000 yen | ||
| meningococcal ACWY | ◎ if traveling to the meningitis belt | Nimenrix | 1 dose | 17,000 yen |
| typhoid | 〇 recommended for areas with poor sanitation | Typbar TCV | 1 dose | 10,000 yen |
| hepatitis B※2 | 〇 recommended for long-term stays | Bimmugen | 3 doses | 7,000 yen |
| rabies | 〇 recommended if you will be in contact with animals | ChiroRab | 3 doses | 13,000 yen |
| polio※3 | 〇 Nigeria, Ethiopia, Chad Angola, Djibouti, Niger, etc. recommended for areas where cases occur |
Imovax Polio | 1 or 3 doses★ | 9,000 yen |
| influenza | 〇 recommended during the infection season | influenza HA vaccine |
1 dose as a rule | 4,000 yen |
| malaria | ◎ recommended for rural areas where cases occur | Malarone | Start taking it 1 to 2 days before travel Take 1 tablet once a day Continue for 1 week after returning home |
750 yen/tablet |
| Mephaquin | Start taking it 1 to 2 weeks before travel Take 1 tablet once a week Continue for 4 weeks after returning home, then finish |
1,100 yen/tablet | ||
★ 1 dose if the primary series was completed in childhood
※1 We also carry Tdap (tetanus, pertussis and diphtheria) at 9,000 yen (tax included).
※2 We also carry a hepatitis A and hepatitis B combination vaccine (Twinrix) at 13,000 yen (tax included).
※3 We also carry DPT-IPV (tetanus, pertussis, diphtheria and polio) at 12,000 yen (tax included).
Diseases to watch out for at your destination are explained in detail on the page below.
Precautions During Your Stay
Preventing Infections from Food and Drink
Infrastructure is often underdeveloped, so care is needed regarding infections transmitted through food and drink.
In Ethiopia there is a custom of consuming raw meat and organ meats, but this can lead to tapeworm infection, so avoid it.
Also, cholera is prevalent in the eastern regions of Africa. Always buy mineral water for drinking, and at restaurants you can trust, eat thoroughly heated food while it is still hot.
Hepatitis A and typhoid, which are transmitted via food and water, can be prevented with vaccination beforehand.
Mosquito-Bite Prevention
In Africa, malaria, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, is reported year-round across a wide area.
The risk of dengue fever is also high, so mosquito-bite prevention is essential. A dengue fever vaccine is available in some countries, but fundamentally, measures to avoid mosquito bites (wearing long sleeves, using insect repellent spray), etc., are effective.
You can also be bitten by mosquitoes indoors at night, so measures such as using a mosquito net when you sleep are effective.
Risk of Contact with Wild Animals, Including Rabies
It is important to avoid contact with wild animals and keep the risk of infection to a minimum.
If you will have opportunities to come into contact with wild animals such as dogs, raccoons and bats, we recommend getting the rabies vaccine.
Take Care with Contact Between People
Outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever can occur, so care is needed regarding contact with people and animals and regarding hygiene management.
Take Care in the Meningitis Belt Region
The equatorial African region stretching from Ethiopia to Senegal is called the meningitis belt, and meningococcal meningitis is prevalent in this area.
Cases occur particularly frequently from December to June. If you are staying long term, be sure to get the meningitis vaccine.
Preparing for Altitude Sickness
If you climb Mount Kilimanjaro or stay in high-altitude areas, there is a risk of altitude sickness.
Pace yourself so that you gradually acclimatize to the altitude, and be sure to stay well hydrated.
Appointments
Vaccination is available without an appointment.
Because we give priority to those with appointments, please book below if your schedule is already set.
– Maternal and Child Health Handbook (a copy or a photo is also acceptable)
– Documents (if you would like a medical certificate or vaccination certificate issued in a specified format, please bring the documents)
For vaccines and vaccinations for other regions, please see this page.
＜Dr. Satoshi Kutsuna＞Specialist in infectious disease internal medicine, PhD in medicine. For about 10 years he was engaged in travel medicine and imported infectious disease care at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine Hospital (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo), home to Japan's largest travel clinic, and he continues to be involved in activities including clinical practice and research today. His other areas of specialty are emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and COVID infection, and he works to raise awareness of infectious diseases through a variety of outlets including the media and the internet. He also sees patients at our clinic as a part-time physician and supervises our Travel Medicine.
