Before you travel
Health preparation for Kenya
Kenya safaris typically involve time in rural, lower-altitude game parks where malaria risk is present, alongside coastal areas around Mombasa and Diani that carry similar considerations.
Nairobi itself is generally considered lower risk than rural safari regions, but most itineraries combine both.
Final vaccine and medicine recommendations always depend on your medical history, previous vaccinations, current travel health guidance, trip duration and planned activities. This page is general information, not a personal clinical recommendation — book a consultation so our pharmacist can assess your individual trip.
Personalised recommendations
Vaccines commonly discussed
Yellow fever vaccination recommended for parts of this trip
No single list applies to everyone. Recommendations depend on your route, trip length, activities, health and previous vaccinations.
View the Africa regional travel-health guide
TyphoidMost travellers
Widely recommended
£38 per dose
Hepatitis A&B CombinedMost travellers
Widely recommended
£85 per dose (adult & junior)
RabiesSome travellers
Considered for longer safaris or rural stays
£74 per dose / £222 for a full course
DTPAll travellers
Booster if it's been over 10 years
£38 per dose
Mosquito-borne illness
Malaria risk and bite prevention
High risk across Kenya including the safari parks and the coast, where antimalarial tablets are recommended. Very low risk in Nairobi and in the highlands above 2,500m, where bite avoidance is the advice.
Risk can differ within a country and can change over time. A consultation assesses your exact itinerary and whether antimalarial medicine should be considered.
Read the malaria prevention guideBeyond vaccination
Practical advice for your trip
- Malaria prevention — tablets and bite avoidance
- Sun protection at altitude and near the equator
- Food and water hygiene
- Access to healthcare can be limited in remote safari areas
Food, water and traveller's diarrhoea
Follow careful food and water hygiene where standards are uncertain. Vaccination does not replace these everyday precautions.
Climate planning
June to October and January to February are popular for safari viewing.
Entry requirements
A visa or eTA is generally required for UK travellers; check current entry requirements before booking.
Yellow fever
No certificate is needed when arriving directly from the UK. Vaccination is recommended for travellers aged 9 months and older visiting most of Kenya, including the main safari parks. It is generally not recommended for trips limited to Nairobi, Mombasa, the coastal counties of Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Malindi and Tana River, or North Eastern province. Kenya counts as a yellow fever risk country, so you will need the certificate to enter Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda or South Africa afterwards.
Entry and certificate rules can change. Check the latest official foreign travel advice on GOV.UK before departure, and see TravelHealthPro for country-specific health guidance. Yellow Fever vaccination is not currently administered at this clinic; where a requirement is relevant, the pharmacist can discuss your itinerary and explain that an authorised Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre may be needed.
Common questions
Kenya travel health FAQs
Usually typhoid and hepatitis A and B, with rabies considered for longer or rural trips, plus antimalarial tablets for the parks and the coast. Yellow fever vaccination is also recommended for most safari areas outside Nairobi and the coast, and you will need the certificate if you continue to Tanzania, Zanzibar or Uganda. We do not give yellow fever, so book that at an authorised centre and bring the rest of your list to us.
No antimalarial is 100% effective, so tablets are always combined with mosquito bite prevention — repellent, covering up in the evenings, and sleeping under nets where provided.
If you feel seriously unwell
- If you are seriously unwell abroad, seek local emergency medical care immediately.
- If you are seriously unwell after returning to the UK, call 999 or go to A&E — always mention any recent travel.
- For urgent but non-emergency advice in the UK, call NHS 111 or contact your GP.