Malaria precautions are essential in almost all African countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Avoid mosquito bites by covering up with clothing such as long sleeves and long trousers especially after sunset, using insect repellents on exposed skin and, when necessary, sleeping under a mosquito net. In addition, antimalarial tablets are recommended when travelling to most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

For information about yellow-fever vaccination requirements, see WHOs overview:

• WHO International travel and health: Yellow fever vaccination country requirements

People who are unsure whether they have had the MMR vaccine or had the diseases measles, mumps or rubella (German measles) should have the vaccine.

The meningococcal vaccine ACWY is recommended for travellers to the "meningitis belt" in Africa that stretches across the continent from Senegal to Ethiopia. Other vaccines than those mentioned in the table should be assessed individually. Africa is not declared polio-free. 

International travel types are divided into two main groups

Abbreviations for travel vaccines

• dTP-IPV: Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and poliomyelitis vaccine
• IPV: Poliomyelitis vaccine
• Hep A: Hepatitis A vaccine
• Hep B: Hepatitis B vaccine
• MenACWY: Meningococcal vaccine against serotypes A,C,W and Y
• Rab: Rabies vaccine
• Typh: Typhoid vaccine
• Y: Yellow fever vaccine
• BCG: Tuberculosis vaccine

* Everybody should be vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and poliomyelitis. Adults who have had the basic vaccinations should have a booster dose against these diseases every 10 years.

** Polio vaccination for stays in countries with polio outbreaks: WHO requires that anyone staying over 4 weeks in a country at risk of exporting vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 or type 3 should have the polio vaccine between 4 weeks and 12 months before leaving the country. This must be documented with an international vaccine certificate. This applies for people of all ages, including children who are considered to be fully vaccinated according to the Childhood Immunisation Programme. This currently applies to Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and DR Congo.

For travel to countries with prevalence of vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2, it is particularly important to ensure up-to-date polio vaccination and consider bringing forward vaccination of infants.The WHO encourages visitors who have stayed for more than 4 weeks in these countries to follow the advice in the section above. 

This currently applies to: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo**, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Mozambique**, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Togo and Uganda.

Note that Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan and South Sudan are considered by the WHO as countries that are vulnerable to reintroduction of poliovirus. 

Source for travel vaccination advice given by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health 

• WHO International travel and health
• National Travel Health Network and Centre (Public Health England)
• Fit for travel (Health Protection Scotland) 
• Norwegian Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases (MSIS-data)
• WHO Europe centralised information system for infectious diseases