In most cases, vaccination is not mandatory for European and U.S. citizens when travelling to Brazil. However, there are some exceptions.
Yellow fewer vaccination
If you have spent more than 3 months in a country with a high risk of yellow fever prior to your departure to Brazil, you will have to provide an international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever. You can find an updated list of these countries on the website of the Brazilian government .
Even if Brazilian authorities do not require a yellow fever vaccination, it is still recommended when travelling to Brazil, particularly for the following Brazilian states: Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Rondonia, Roraima and Tocantins. There has been an increasing appearance of yellow fever cases in these areas.
Note that such a vaccination takes ten days before being effective. Special caution is advised with yellow fever vaccinations for infants between the ages of six months and one year as side effects are known to occur. If your child is this age, it must not get immunized to yellow fever!
Other vaccinations for Brazil
A further mandatory immunization is vaccination against poliomyelitis for children between the ages of six months and three years.
Futher vaccinations that are recommended include the following:
- Tetanus
- Diphtheria
- Hepatitis A
Aditionally, for a stay exceeding 4 weeks:
- Hepatitis B
- Rabies
- Typhus
Malaria and dengue
If you are travelling to Brazil's tropical and subtropical regions you might be exposed to the danger of malaria and dengue fever infection. Infections of the latter have increased lately. Both diseases are transmitted by mosquito bites, thus take extra precaution:
- wear light-coloured and long clothes
- use insect repellents, both during the day (against dengue mosquitos) and night (malaria mosquitos are nocturnal)!
- If possible, sleep under a mosquito net
To play it safe consult a tropical doctor before your departure. He can also advise you on what medicine you should have in your first-aid kit when travelling to Brazil.
Irrespective of where you travel in Brazil, you should pay particular attention to food, in order to avoid intolerance and sickness. Water from the tap is not safe to drink in Brazil and should be boiled or sterilised. Also, unless being in the country for at least a few weeks, try to avoid ice in drinks. Vegetables should be well cooked, as well as meat and fish, and fruits should only be consumed when peeled. Milk, especially in rural areas, is often unpasteurised and should be boiled first. Pay attention to dairy products like ice-cream as these can also be made of unpasteurised milk.
For further travel advice in Brazil, visit Expat Health Tips: https://expathealth.tips/