*Disclaimer – I am not a medical professional. This advice is based on my past travel experiences. Talk to your doctor or a healthcare professional at a travel clinic to see if these vaccines and meds are right for you.
If you’re traveling to Southeast Asia, I highly recommend you to take some precautions before heading out.
Although they can be quite costly, vaccines for Southeast Asia will give you the peace of mind you need to travel safely.
Trust me, you don’t want to be worrying about contracting Hepatitis A when you’re sipping on an icy cocktail or sampling delicious street food in Thailand.
You should book an appointment at the travel clinic approximately 4-6 weeks before your trip to get all the shots you may need.
If you have a list of the vaccines you’ve taken since childhood, bring it with you to the travel clinic.
The nurse who will consult with you will want to know if you’ve taken all your basic shots so they don’t make you take them again.
I will not list the routine vaccines that you’ve probably already taken – just the additional ones you’ll need for Southeast Asia.
Here’s a list of recommended vaccines for Southeast Asia + useful medication that you should take/buy prior to your trip.
Vaccines for touristic areas
If you’re planning on mainly visiting touristic areas, the CDC recommends the following vaccines:
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Tetanus
- Polio booster shot
Extra vaccines & pills for adventurous travelers
If you’re planning on visiting rural areas, sleeping outdoors, or getting a tattoo, you’ll need more than the average set of vaccines for Southeast Asia.
Here are the additional shots and meds the CDC recommends:
- Rabies (it’s just as effective to take the shot after you’ve been exposed to the virus, but you must do so ASAP otherwise it’s fatal)
- Malaria pills
- Hepatitis B
Useful medication
If you want to go the extra mile, you can bring certain medication with you in case you get sick.
Some are prescription medication that the nurse at the travel clinic will prescribe, and the rest are over-the-counter.
- Azithromycin (Antibiotic for severe diarrhea – only to be used if absolutely necessary)
- Advil or Tylenol (for fever, muscle pain or congestion)
- Oral rehydration salts (not technically medicine, but helps keep you hydrated if you have diarrhea)
- Imodium (for mild diarrhea)
Once you book your appointment at the travel clinic, you will consult with a nurse so she/he can prescribe the right vaccines and medication depending on your itinerary.
I’ve traveled to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Laos, and the shots listed above were the only ones I’ve had to take.
I opted out of taking the malaria pills because the rural areas I was visiting had a low risk of malaria. You can check out this awesome travel health website for malaria maps across the globe.
