I am going to Laos soon traveling from USA. Is vaccine required when visit Laos? If it's not required then I don't plan to get it unless it is requirement to enter Laos.
1 Answer
The only required vaccination for Laos is yellow fever, and that only applies if you're coming from a country where the disease is prevalent. The United States is not one of them. Specifically:
Vaccination against yellow fever required if arriving within 6 days after leaving or transiting countries with risk of yellow fever transmission Exempt from Yellow Fever vaccination: - Passengers transiting countries with risk of yellow fever transmission if not leaving the transit areas. Recommended: - Malaria prophylaxis: malaria risk, mainly due to P. falciparum, exists throughout the year in the whole country, except in Vientiane. Recommended prevention in risk area
However, the CDC has other health recommendations for travelers to Laos, which you should read in full, including ensuring your routine vaccinations are up to date, Hepatitis A, and Typhoid, plus other vaccinations that are recommended for some travelers. Malaria is present, to varying degrees in different parts of the country, and some travelers may take chemoprophylaxis depending on their preferences and their exact travel plans, while others will want to use insect repellents to reduce the risk of malaria and other insect-borne diseases.
You can visit a travel health clinic for professional advice on these risks, any vaccinations you choose to receive, antimalarial drugs, information about effective insect repellent, antibiotics/antidiarrheal medication/oral rehydration salts, etc...
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1Thank you for answering my question. So in another word, there are no requirements at all traveling from USA? Feb 2, 2019 at 4:38
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@user91583 Yes, unless you've been in a country with yellow fever within 6 days of your visit to Laos. But there are other travel health concerns for Laos, including malaria in certain areas, and it would be irresponsible to recommend anything other than you review all the CDC's recommendations and visit a travel medicine clinic before your trip. Feb 2, 2019 at 7:49