Vaccines (Vaccinations) for Those Studying or Traveling in "Southern Africa"

Target Regions

Republic of South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Zambia, Namibia, etc.

Key Points of This Article

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 also strongly recommended in many countries.

The rabies vaccine, the typhoid vaccine and vaccines for epidemic viral diseases such as measles are also recommended.

Click any item in the table of contents to jump partway into the article.

VaccineLevel of recommendationVaccines availableNumber of dosesPrice
(all tax included)
measlesMMR
(Priorix or MMRⅡ)
1 to 2 doses10,000 yen
rubella
tetanus※1※3tetanus toxoid1 or 3 doses4,000 yen
hepatitis A※2Aimmugen3 doses16,500 yen
Havisure2 doses13,000 yen
typhoid
recommended for areas with poor sanitation
Typbar TCV1 dose10,000 yen
hepatitis B※2
recommended for long-term stays
Bimmugen3 doses7,000 yen
rabies
recommended if you will be in contact with animals
ChiroRab3 doses13,000 yen
polio※3
recommended for areas where cases occur
Imovax
Polio
1 or 3 doses9,000 yen
influenza
recommended during the epidemic season
influenza
HA vaccine
1 dose as a rule4,000 yen
malaria
recommended for rural areas where cases occur
MalaroneStart taking it 1 to 2 days before travel
Take 1 tablet once a day
Continue for 1 week after returning home
750 yen/tablet
MephaquinStart 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

Tap water in urban areas is fine for washing ingredients and dishes, brushing your teeth, etc., but for drinking, buy mineral water.

Avoid ice, raw vegetables and cut fruit; peeling fruit yourself before eating it is safer.

For meals, eat thoroughly heated food from a restaurant you can trust 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 the Republic of South Africa, malaria, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, is reported year-round across a wide area.

Cases have also been confirmed in Namibia and Botswana from November to June. 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

In South Africa, rabies patients are reported every year.

If you will have opportunities to come into contact with wild animals such as dogs, raccoons and bats, we recommend getting the rabies vaccine.

Appointments

Vaccination is available without an appointment.

Because we give priority to those with appointments, please book below if your schedule is already set.

What to Bring to Your Visit

– 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.

Doctor Who Supervised This Article

<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.

Recent photograph of Dr. Satoshi Kutsuna (Professor at Osaka University Graduate School, part-time physician at our clinic)