Destination guide
Travel vaccines for Botswana
The Okavango Delta, Chobe and the Kalahari — here's what UK travellers are usually advised before visiting Botswana, including malaria in the north and the Yellow Fever certificate rule.
Overview
What vaccinations do I need for Botswana?
Botswana is premium, remote safari country — the Okavango Delta, the elephants of Chobe, the Kalahari — and remoteness shapes the advice as much as any single disease. Malaria risk concentrates in the north (the Delta, Chobe, Ngamiland) and is strongly seasonal, highest in the wet months from around November to June; the dry south and central Kalahari are much lower. Because many Botswana trips combine with Victoria Falls across the border, and because help can be hours away in the bush, rabies and being properly covered for tetanus and Hepatitis A are worth sorting before you go.
These recommendations are a general guide based on UK travel-health advice from TravelHealthPro (UKHSA/NaTHNaC), and your exact needs depend on your itinerary and timing. Whether you're heading for the Okavango Delta, Chobe or the Kalahari, we'll confirm precisely what you need at a short consultation.
Plan ahead
Book 4–6 weeks before you fly
For a wet-season trip into the Okavango Delta or Chobe, malaria tablets are part of the plan and are started before you leave, so aim for 4–6 weeks ahead — and some vaccines need more than one dose. Travelling sooner? Come in anyway — there's almost always something we can do.
Recommended vaccinations
Vaccines commonly advised for Botswana
Grouped by how often they're recommended. Your personal list is confirmed at consultation. Vaccine guidance is based on public health information from TravelHealthPro (UKHSA/NaTHNaC).
Hepatitis A
Most travellers
Spread through contaminated food and water — advised for most trips.
Tetanus, Diphtheria & Polio
Most travellers
A combined booster is recommended if you're not up to date.
Typhoid
Most travellers
Recommended for most travellers to Botswana — risk rises outside the main lodges and towns.
Hepatitis B
Some travellers
Advised for longer stays, healthcare work, or possible medical/dental treatment.
Rabies
Some travellers
Considered for longer or remote trips where help is far away.
Cholera
Some travellers
An oral vaccine is considered for higher-risk trips; safe food and water habits remain the main protection.
Measles (MMR)
Some travellers
Make sure you have had two documented doses of MMR, as measles still circulates in many regions.
Tuberculosis
Some travellers
BCG is usually only relevant for longer stays or close community contact, typically younger travellers who have not had it before.
Entry rules — separate from your jabs
Yellow fever certificate: what Botswana requires
A yellow fever certificate requirement is a legal condition of entry — it is not the same thing as the vaccine being recommended for your health. The recommendation (when there is one) appears in the vaccine list above; the entry rule is below.
Flying direct from the UK? No yellow fever certificate needed for Botswana
Botswana only asks for a certificate (ICVP) from travellers aged 1 year+ who arrive from — or pass through — a country with yellow fever risk, and any airport layover in a risk country counts, however short. That catches out multi-country itineraries, so check your whole route, not just your destination.
There is no yellow fever transmission risk in Botswana itself — this rule exists purely to stop the virus being carried in from elsewhere.
Malaria & mosquitoes
Malaria in Botswana
Malaria risk in Botswana is mainly in the north — the Okavango Delta, Chobe and the Caprivi-bordering areas — and is highest in the warmer, wetter months (roughly November to June). Antimalarial tablets are usually advised for those areas. The far south and Gaborone are low or no risk.
- Okavango & Chobe: antimalarial tablets usually advised, especially Nov–June
- Southern Botswana & Gaborone: low or no risk
- Use repellent, cover up at dawn and dusk, and use nets where needed
FAQ
Botswana travel vaccines — FAQs
Getting ready for Botswana?
Book a quick consultation at our Timperley clinic near Manchester and we'll sort your vaccinations, certificate and malaria advice for your trip.