Do I have to be Vaccinated to Visit Uganda?
Have you thought of travelling to Uganda and still wondering whether you have to be vaccinated to visit the country, dubbed the Pearl of Africa? If yes, what vaccines apply for Uganda? If you have plans of travelling to this beautiful country soon, then it is crucial to make thorough precautions and we recommend a number of vaccinations. While some vaccinations are not considered compulsory, they will protect you from diseases, which would otherwise become detrimental to your life. Also, certain vaccinations are required depending on your length of stay in this spectacular East African country.
Christened the “Pearl of Africa”, Uganda is an amazing safari destination for travellers who desire something exceptional and exotic. To enter this beautiful country, it is important to fulfil some important health requirements as a way of getting protected from different diseases that would otherwise affect your planned duration of safari in Uganda. Therefore, do I have to be vaccinated to visit Uganda? Yes, you have to be vaccinated to explore this phenomenal country and the recommended vaccines are;
Covid-19
Covid-10 vaccination is not compulsory for Uganda but recommended and all in-bound and out-bound travellers who are fully vaccinated are required to provide proof (valid certificate of vaccination before entering the country. However, travellers of 5 years and below are exempted from this requirement and travellers with partial or no vaccination will be required to provide a negative PCR test conducted within 72 hours of travel.
Yellow Fever
Ugandan Government through the Ministry of Health is dedicated to protecting the population and travellers from risk of importing or exporting the spread of Yellow fever Virus by putting up an entry and exit requirement for Yellow fever vaccination (with valid certificates to be presented) by travellers. Therefore, travellers are required to present proof of vaccination while arriving from their countries of origin because there is a high risk of yellow fever transmission as well as visitors in transit through countries that they go through. However, the inoculation certificate is an important requirement for travellers arriving from countries that are endemic to yellow fever to those that are free from the Virus.
Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
Abbreviated as dTpa, the Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis vaccine is recommended (but not mandatory) for travellers to Uganda to get protected against the three potentially life-threatening bacterial diseases of Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Tetanus and Diphtheria because you can never know when you get injured and need protection during your Uganda safari. It is advisable to receive a booster dose for this vaccine if you hadn’t received one in the past 10 years.
Hepatitis A
Travellers including infants (aged 6-11 years) are required to vaccinate against Hepatitis A, a highly contagious Liver infection that can lead to liver failure and sometimes death. The HepA vaccine is provided in two doses to provide long term protection against this serious infection.
Other recommended vaccinations for travellers to Uganda are for Hepatitis B, Meningitis, Cholera, Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR), Influenza, Typhoid, Cholera and Rabies among others.
Set in the East African region, Uganda is a beautiful country christened the “Pearl of Africa” by Winston Churchill and this title is not surprising, owing to the natural beauty of the country. First, it is home to the source of the World’s longest River (Nile), stunning hills and mountains including the ones blanketed by snow, forests, to mention but a few.
Besides vaccinations, other requirements for travelling to Uganda include having valid passport with minimum validity of 6 months on arrival and visas. Visa fees range from $50 to $200, depending on the validity. Single entry visas cost $50 per person while multiple entry visas for 6-12 months cost $100, multiple entries for 24 months cost $150 and the ones valid for 36 months cost $200 per person.
