Vaccines For China - What Is Required

Do You Need Vaccines For China?

There are no particular vaccination requirements for people visiting China unless you come from a country with a high risk of yellow fever. However, one should visit a licensed medical practitioner to advise on what shots to get. There will be those a person may have gotten as a child, but there are others one can take as preventative measures before the trip. That should be six weeks to a month before the trip. You should not have them too soon before the journey or have a cocktail of them at once, because falling ill is very likely when visiting a new country and you will not enjoy the trip. While one is encouraged to be cautious, it is improper to overload the body with vaccines for the sake of being safe. Therefore, you should opt to only go for what the doctor suggests and what is actually needed for the part of China you are traveling to.

There are basics that a person ought to have before traveling to China. Vaccines for China to fully protect yourself include a polio vaccination, an MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccination, a tetanus vaccination, a chickenpox vaccination, a yellow fever vaccination, and your annual flu shot. The WHO recommends hepatitis A, typhoid, and tetanus shots, as these come from contaminated foods. They are highly recommended in rural areas or for someone from an area where food contamination is prevalent.

Routine Vaccines For China

Vaccine	Recommendation
MMR (measles-mumps-rubella)	Recommended
Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria & pertussis)	Recommended
Varicella (chickenpox)	Recommended
Yearly flu shot	Recommended

Recommended Vaccines For China

Vaccine	Recommendation	Notes
Hepatitis A	Recommended	Risk from eating contaminated food or drinking water in China
Hepatitis B	Recommended	Spread through body fluids, mostly during sexual activity
Typhoid	Recommended	Spread through contaminated food or drinking water in China

Recommended Only For Some Travelers

Vaccine	Recommendation	Notes
Japanese encephalitis	Recommended for some	High risk if visiting rural areas in China
Polio	Recommended for some	At risk if working in healthcare in the Xinjiang region
Rabies	Recommended for some	At risk if around animals a lot in China
Malaria	Recommended for some	At risk of mosquito bites while outdoors in China
Yellow fever	Required for some	Must have if coming from a country with a high risk of yellow fever

When Each Extra Shot Makes Sense

If one intends to engage in sexual activity, get a piercing, or get a tattoo while in China, they should get a hepatitis B shot too. For those going for treks and hikes, especially in secluded areas, they might want a rabies shot, but that is mostly for those who will be working with animals. For those who will primarily be in the city or in areas of no risk, getting the shot is unnecessary.

When outdoors, you will quickly notice that China has a mosquito problem in some areas. Apart from repellent, a malaria shot would prevent a person from getting the disease. Equally, get the Japanese encephalitis (JE) shot if traveling to rural China, because it is endemic to the area. Two shots are taken 28 days apart, so plan accordingly. Overall, most do not need any vaccinations to visit China. It is, however, better to be safe than sorry and get those a licensed medical practitioner or doctor recommends. Hopefully you now have a better understanding of what immunizations are needed for travel to China. Similar questions can be directed to the travel agency used to book the trip. Remember to carry documentation showing the shots received should there be a medical emergency while visiting China.