Health and vaccinations

Facts last reviewed September 2026.

A yellow fever certificate is required if you are arriving from a country with yellow fever transmission, and the vaccine is widely advised for travel in East Africa more generally. One dose gives lifelong validity, and it needs to be taken at least 10 days before you travel for the certificate to be valid on arrival.

Beyond yellow fever, a travel clinic will usually check that your routine vaccinations are up to date and commonly advises Hepatitis A and Typhoid for a Kenya trip. A Polio booster is often suggested if your last dose was more than 10 years ago, and Rabies vaccination is sometimes recommended for longer or more remote stays. Your clinic is best placed to decide what fits your itinerary and health history.

Malaria risk varies across Kenya. It is real at the coast, including Diani, Mombasa and Watamu, and around Lake Victoria; moderate in the Maasai Mara and most other safari areas; and lower in Nairobi and the central highlands, thanks to the altitude. Antimalarial tablets are commonly recommended for safari itineraries, and the choice of tablet, whether atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine, is a decision for your doctor or travel clinic.

Bite avoidance matters regardless of tablets. Apply repellent from late afternoon, wear long sleeves in the evening, and use the mosquito nets provided at camps. The mosquitoes that carry malaria bite between dusk and dawn.

If you develop a fever within a few weeks of returning from East Africa, seek medical attention promptly and mention your travel history.

Drink bottled or filtered water, which lodges and camps provide as standard, and avoid tap water. We also strongly recommend travel insurance that includes medical evacuation cover for any safari trip.