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Travel health · part 1 of 19 · video

Kenya: do you need malaria tablets and the yellow fever vaccine?

Malaria tablets and the yellow fever vaccine are recommended for most trips to Kenya, safaris especially. What the guidance says, the other vaccines to consider, and the timing that catches people out. From Miles Pharmacy, Ewell.

Reviewed by Samit Patel, Superintendent Pharmacist and Director · GPhC 2076789 Last reviewed

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Going on safari in Kenya? Most people remember malaria tablets. The one they forget is yellow fever.

Here's the short answer. For most trips, both are recommended. You won't need a yellow fever certificate flying direct from the UK, so it's easy to assume you don't need the vaccine, but there's yellow fever risk in parts of Kenya. Here's what the guidance says.

There's a high risk of malaria in Kenya. Tablets are recommended everywhere except Nairobi city and the highlands above 2,500 metres, where the risk is very low.

Yellow fever vaccination is recommended from 9 months of age for most itineraries, including the Masai Mara, Tsavo and Lake Nakuru. It's generally not recommended if you're only visiting Nairobi, Mombasa or parts of the coast like Lamu, Malindi and Kilifi. So if you're going on safari, ask about yellow fever.

For most travellers, hepatitis A and typhoid are recommended too, and check your tetanus booster is in date. Rabies, hepatitis B and meningitis ACWY depend on how long you're staying and what you'll be doing.

Beyond malaria, insects here spread dengue and other infections, so repellent matters day and night.

Climbing Mount Kenya? It reaches 5,199 metres, so altitude illness is a real risk. Plan time to acclimatise.

A few things catch people out. If you're 60 or over and only visiting the low-exposure areas, you shouldn't have the yellow fever vaccine. If you're arriving from another country with yellow fever risk, Kenya requires the certificate for anyone over a year old. And timing matters. The certificate is only valid 10 days after vaccination, and some malaria tablets start 2 to 3 weeks before you travel.

Miles Pharmacy is an officially registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre, so we can give the vaccine and issue your certificate. Bring your itinerary and we'll go through it with you. That's a conversation, not a guess. Book your Kenya travel consultation online at milesclinic.co.uk.

For most trips to Kenya, both malaria tablets and the yellow fever vaccine are recommended. Malaria risk is high across most of the country, and yellow fever vaccination is recommended from 9 months of age for the game reserves and national parks, including the Masai Mara, Tsavo and Lake Nakuru. Kenya only asks for a yellow fever certificate from travellers arriving from a country with yellow fever risk, so flying direct from the UK, the vaccine is easy to overlook. You can book a Kenya consultation on our travel vaccinations page.

Malaria in Kenya

Where the risk is

There’s a high risk of malaria in Kenya, and malaria tablets are recommended for the high-risk areas. The risk is very low in Nairobi city and in the highlands above 2,500 metres. Most itineraries take in more than one area, so the pharmacist will go through every stop on yours.

Tablets and timing

Malaria tablets are started a few days or a few weeks before you travel, depending on the tablet, and carried on for a while after you get home. That’s one reason not to leave the appointment to the last week. More on our malaria tablets page.

Bites, day and night

Mosquitoes in Kenya also spread dengue and chikungunya, and the mosquitoes that carry those bite in the daytime. So repellent matters during the day as well as in the evening and overnight.

Yellow fever in Kenya

Where the vaccine is recommended

Yellow fever vaccination is recommended from 9 months of age for areas with a risk of transmission, which include the game reserves and national parks: Tsavo East, Tsavo West, the Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru. If your trip includes a safari, ask about yellow fever.

Nairobi, Mombasa and the coast

The guidance treats some areas as low exposure: North Eastern province, Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Malindi and Tana River on the coast, and the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa. For a trip only to those areas, the vaccine is generally not recommended, but it can still be considered if you’ll have a long stay or a lot of mosquito exposure. The pharmacist will look at your plans and advise.

Aged 60 or over

Serious side effects from the yellow fever vaccine are more likely from the age of 60, so if you’re 60 or over and only visiting the low-exposure areas, the vaccine isn’t advised. If your trip includes a safari, the pharmacist will talk the balance through with you.

Arriving from another country

If you’re arriving in Kenya from a country with yellow fever risk, Kenya requires a yellow fever certificate from everyone over 1 year of age. Tell us about every country on your route when you book.

The 10-day rule

After a first dose, the yellow fever certificate becomes valid 10 days from the date of vaccination, and then lasts for life. Miles Pharmacy is a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre, so we can give the vaccine and issue the certificate. See our yellow fever vaccination page.

Other vaccines for Kenya

For most travellers

Hepatitis A and typhoid are recommended for most travellers to Kenya, and your tetanus protection should be up to date.

Depending on your trip

Rabies, hepatitis B and meningitis ACWY depend on how long you’re staying and what you’ll be doing. Rabies vaccination before travel is recommended for stays of more than a month and for places where treatment after a bite is hard to reach. Hepatitis B can be considered for all travellers, and meningitis ACWY is recommended for long stays with close contact with local people and for visiting friends and relatives.

Climbing Mount Kenya

Mount Kenya reaches 5,199 metres, so altitude illness is a real risk. Above 3,000 metres, the advice is to climb gradually and plan time to acclimatise.

Questions about travel vaccinations for Kenya

Is the yellow fever vaccine recommended for the Masai Mara?

Yes. The Masai Mara is one of the game reserves where yellow fever vaccination is recommended, from 9 months of age.

Does Kenya ask for a yellow fever certificate?

Kenya requires one from travellers over 1 year of age arriving from a country with yellow fever risk. The vaccine is recommended for most itineraries whatever your route, so ask about it when you book.

Are malaria tablets recommended for a safari?

Malaria tablets are recommended for the high-risk areas, which cover most of Kenya outside Nairobi city and the highlands above 2,500 metres. Bring your itinerary and the pharmacist will check each stop.

How far ahead should I book?

Ideally six to eight weeks before you travel, so there’s time for every vaccine and for malaria tablets that start before you go. The yellow fever certificate needs at least 10 days. If you’re travelling sooner, still book or call us on 020 8393 1000.

Sources

Your next step

Samit Patel, pharmacist at Miles Pharmacy in Epsom

Reviewed by

Samit Patel

Superintendent Pharmacist and Director

GPhC 2076789

Ready to take the next step?

Book online with Miles Pharmacy in Ewell, Epsom, or call us if you would rather talk it through first.

Book an appointment 020 8393 1000
  • GPhC registered pharmacy 9011598
  • Checked by a registered superintendent pharmacist and director
  • Last reviewed 2 October 2026

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