UK travel health guidance recommends the hepatitis A vaccine for most travellers to South Asia, sub-Saharan and North Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America, and parts of the Far East apart from Japan. That takes in many of the most popular trips from the UK, including Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Thailand, India and Mexico. For a few countries, such as the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka, it depends on how you’re travelling. You can book your hepatitis A vaccine in Epsom with us.
Why travel matters
Of the 713 confirmed hepatitis A cases in England and Wales in 2024, 403 had a history of travel. The places linked to those cases included Morocco, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Poland and Slovakia.
How likely is it?
Hepatitis A remains one of the most common travel-related infections that a vaccine can prevent. For travellers who aren’t immune, the estimated rate is around 1 in 10,000 per month of travel in Africa, and around 1 in 100,000 per month in Latin America. The risk depends on where you stay, how long you’re away, and the food and water hygiene where you are.
Popular trips at a glance
| Destination | Hepatitis A vaccine (UK guidance) |
|---|---|
| Turkey | Most travellers |
| Egypt | Most travellers |
| Morocco | Most travellers |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | Some travellers, depending on your trip |
| India | Most travellers |
| Sri Lanka | Some travellers, depending on your trip |
| Thailand | Most travellers |
| Vietnam | Most travellers |
| Bali (Indonesia) | Most travellers |
| Mexico | Most travellers |
| Dominican Republic | Most travellers |
| Jamaica | Most travellers |
| Cuba | Most travellers |
| Kenya | Most travellers |
Recommended for most travellers
For each of the countries below, UK travel health guidance (NaTHNaC) recommends the hepatitis A vaccine for all travellers who haven’t been vaccinated before.
Turkey, North Africa and Jordan
Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan.
South Asia
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
South East Asia and China
Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia (including Bali), the Philippines and China.
Africa
Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and The Gambia. Going on safari? Our Kenya travel health video covers hepatitis A alongside malaria tablets and the yellow fever vaccine.
Central and South America and the Caribbean
Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Cuba, Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru and Colombia.
Where it depends on your trip
For the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, and for Sri Lanka, the guidance recommends the vaccine for travellers whose plans put them at higher risk. That includes:
- staying with or visiting local people;
- long or frequent trips to areas where sanitation and food hygiene are likely to be poor;
- backpacking or adventure travel in rural areas, staying in basic accommodation;
- a liver condition, or haemophilia;
- men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs;
- work that could expose you to the virus;
- going to an area with a hepatitis A outbreak where safe water and medical care are hard to reach.
If any of those fit, or you’re not sure, bring your itinerary and the pharmacist will go through it with you.
Europe
UK guidance notes that the risk now extends to Eastern Europe. In 2025, Austria, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia reported more than 6,000 cases between them, mostly among people with poor access to sanitation and healthcare. The European health agency rates the risk as low to moderate for people living with good sanitation, and very low for anyone vaccinated.
If you’re visiting family in the region, or working with communities there, ask us about the vaccine when you book.
Higher risk, wherever you go
Visiting friends and relatives
People visiting friends and relatives are among the travellers at higher risk, along with frequent and long-stay travellers.
A good hotel
Cases have occurred in tourists staying in good quality hotels, so the standard of your stay doesn’t take you off the list.
Food and water
Whatever the destination, take care with food, water and hand washing. Washing your hands after the toilet and before preparing or eating food lowers the risk. Our guide to hepatitis A symptoms and how you catch it explains how it spreads.
Leaving soon?
There’s no minimum notice. The vaccine can be given up to the day you travel, and a dose the day before you fly is still worth having. Our guide to having the hepatitis A vaccine at the last minute explains why.
Getting your vaccine in Epsom
We’re at 94 Chessington Road, Ewell, Epsom, KT19 9UR, with a bus stop outside on each side of the road. Ewell West station is nearby, with step-free access to every platform. If you’re coming from Ashtead, Leatherhead or Banstead, call us on 020 8393 1000 to book.
Questions about where you need it
Do I need the hepatitis A vaccine for Turkey?
UK guidance recommends it for all travellers to Turkey who haven’t been vaccinated before.
Do I need it for an all-inclusive in Egypt?
It’s recommended for all unvaccinated travellers to Egypt, and cases have occurred in tourists staying in good quality hotels.
What about Dubai?
For the United Arab Emirates, it’s recommended for travellers at higher risk, for example if you’re staying with local people or travelling often. Bring your plans and the pharmacist will go through them with you.
Do I need it for Thailand?
UK guidance recommends it for all travellers to Thailand who haven’t been vaccinated before.
Do I need it for Mexico or the Caribbean?
Yes for Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba: UK guidance recommends it for all unvaccinated travellers to each of them.
Is Bali covered by the Indonesia advice?
Yes. The guidance for Indonesia, including Bali, recommends the vaccine for all unvaccinated travellers.
Does the hepatitis A vaccine protect against hepatitis B?
No. Hepatitis B is a different virus with its own vaccine. Our hepatitis B vaccination page explains who it’s recommended for.
Sources
- NaTHNaC: hepatitis A factsheet, checked 2 October 2026
- NaTHNaC: country information pages (Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Cuba, Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, Colombia), checked 2 October 2026
- UKHSA: the Green Book, chapter 17, hepatitis A, checked 2 October 2026
- UKHSA: laboratory reports of hepatitis A infections in England and Wales, 2024, checked 2 October 2026
- ECDC: communicable disease threats report, week 48, 2025, checked 2 October 2026
