Travel vaccines for mosquito destinations: what is available in 2026

Four mosquito-borne diseases have a vaccine for travellers in 2026: yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, dengue and chikungunya. Who each one is for, and when to start.

Travel vaccines for mosquito destinations: what is available in 2026

Four mosquito-borne diseases have a vaccine that travellers can get in 2026: yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, dengue and chikungunya. Malaria, Zika and West Nile have no vaccine for travellers. Ask a travel health professional which vaccines your route needs. Check TravelHealthPro country information for destination advice.

Yellow fever

Yellow fever is a virus spread by infected Aedes, Haemagogus and Sabethes mosquitoes, which bite mainly by day. About 15% of infected people develop severe infection, with high fever, jaundice, bleeding and organ failure. About half of those die within 7 to 10 days. There is no specific antiviral treatment.

Risk exists in parts of tropical and sub-tropical Africa, South and Central America, and Trinidad, according to TravelHealthPro. WHO classifies 27 African countries and 13 Latin American countries as high-risk for yellow fever outbreaks. The WHO country list records where transmission risk exists and where countries require vaccination.

For the latest dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and malaria figures in Latin America and the Caribbean, and which mosquito bites when, see our guide for travellers from Europe.

The vaccine is a live attenuated (weakened) vaccine. A single dose gives lifelong immunity and no booster is needed, according to WHO. The NHS says it gives lifelong protection for most people. It advises a further dose for a small number, such as people first vaccinated while pregnant, under 2 years old, or living with HIV.

Immunity develops in 80 to 100% of people within 10 days, and in over 99% within 30 days. Have the vaccine at least 10 days before you travel.

Under the International Health Regulations, some countries require proof of vaccination on an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis. Since 11 July 2016 the certificate is valid for life, including older certificates with an expiry date. Certificate requirements are not necessarily connected to the risk of disease for the traveller. In the UK, the vaccine and certificate are only available from registered yellow fever vaccination centres.

The NHS lists people who cannot have the vaccine, including:

babies under 6 months
people with a weakened immune system
people allergic to a vaccine ingredient, including egg
people with a thymus disorder, or whose thymus was removed
people over 60 travelling to areas where the vaccine is not generally recommended

People aged 60 and over, and pregnant people, may have it only when travel to a high-risk area is unavoidable.

Serious reactions are rare. US data show about 0.8 nervous system reactions and 0.3 multi-organ reactions per 100,000 doses. Both rates are higher from age 60.

Mosquito nets help less against yellow fever, because its mosquitoes bite in the daytime.

Japanese encephalitis

Japanese encephalitis is a virus spread mainly by Culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes. Pigs and wild birds are the main hosts. Culex mosquitoes feed mostly at night, between dusk and dawn.

It occurs in large parts of Asia and the Western Pacific, usually in rural areas with rice growing and pig farming. About 68,000 clinical cases a year occur in 24 endemic countries.

About 1 in 250 infections causes severe illness. Up to 30% of people with encephalitis die. A further 20 to 30% of survivors have permanent problems such as seizures, hearing or vision loss.

The risk for most travellers is very low: under one case per million travellers to Asia. Risk rises with long stays, rural trips, and time near rice fields or pig farms.

UK advice recommends the vaccine for travellers who plan to live in an area where Japanese encephalitis occurs. It also recommends the vaccine for stays of a month or more, especially in the transmission season, and for people who travel there often. Travellers with shorter stays and higher exposure may consider it.

One vaccine has a UK licence, from 2 months of age. The primary course is two doses, on day 0 and day 28. Adults aged 18 to 65 can have an accelerated schedule, day 0 and day 7. Complete the course at least one week before possible exposure. People who stay at risk may need a booster; ask the clinic.

Read our guide to the Japanese encephalitis vaccine for more detail.

Dengue

Dengue spreads through Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which bite mainly during the day, according to WHO.

In 2024 WHO recorded a historic high of over 14.6 million cases and more than 12,000 dengue-related deaths. About half the world's population is at risk, and dengue is endemic in more than 100 countries. In 2024, France, Italy and Spain reported 308 locally acquired cases to WHO.

Severe dengue is rare in travellers, but more likely in a second infection.

The EU has authorised one dengue vaccine. The European Medicines Agency authorised it on 5 December 2022 for people aged 4 and over. It is a live attenuated vaccine covering all four dengue serotypes.

People with a weakened immune system and pregnant or breastfeeding women do not receive it because it is live.

No EU/EEA country recommends routine dengue vaccination. Travellers can discuss it with a travel health professional.

UK advice says people aged 4 and over who have had dengue before (confirmed or likely) can consider it. This applies when they travel to a dengue risk area. People who have not had dengue can consider it, after discussion with an experienced travel health professional. UK advice does not recommend it for areas with only sporadic local cases.

WHO recommends the vaccine only for children aged 6 to 16 in high-transmission settings.

The course is two doses, at 0 and 3 months. To finish both doses before you leave, start at least 3 months ahead.

Chikungunya

Chikungunya spreads through Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which bite during daylight hours.

It occurs in more than 110 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.

It is rarely fatal. Fever and severe joint pain usually settle in 1 to 2 weeks, but joint pain can last months or years.

Newborns and older people with underlying conditions are at higher risk of severe disease.

The EU has authorised two vaccines for people aged 12 and over: a live attenuated vaccine and a recombinant virus-like particle vaccine.

WHO notes the vaccines are not yet widely available and is reviewing the data before making recommendations.

In February 2026 the UK medicines regulator restricted the live vaccine after 28 reports of serious adverse reactions worldwide. In October 2026 it revoked the live vaccine's UK licence. The virus-like particle vaccine is the one licensed in the UK: a single dose from age 12.

UK advice says travellers may consider the vaccine for travel to areas with an active outbreak. Long-term or frequent travellers to areas with transmission in the past 5 years may also consider it.

No vaccine for travellers: malaria, Zika and West Nile

Malaria

WHO recommends malaria vaccines for children living in areas with moderate to high transmission. They are being rolled out in routine childhood immunisation across Africa. UK advice for travellers follows ABCD: awareness of risk, bite avoidance, malaria prevention tablets where appropriate, and prompt diagnosis. Get advice from a GP, nurse, pharmacist or travel clinic before you go. You usually start prevention tablets a few days or weeks before travel. Continue them for a few weeks after.

Zika

No vaccine is yet available. Zika can seriously harm a baby during pregnancy. Consider avoiding travel to a Zika risk country if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy soon. Its mosquitoes are most active during the day.

West Nile

There is no vaccine and no specific treatment for people. Vaccines exist for horses, not for people.

When to start

Some courses take months, so work back from your departure date. If you may need the dengue vaccine, get advice before the 3-month mark.

Before departure	What to do
At least 3 months	Start the dengue vaccine course, if advised: two doses, 3 months apart.
At least 4 to 6 weeks	Get advice from a travel health professional.
At least 10 days	Have the yellow fever vaccine.
At least 1 week	Complete the Japanese encephalitis course.

In the UK, some travel vaccines are free on the NHS. You pay for the Japanese encephalitis vaccine and the yellow fever vaccine.

Bite avoidance still matters

Aedes mosquitoes, which carry dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever, bite mainly by day. Culex mosquitoes, which carry Japanese encephalitis, feed mostly from dusk to dawn. For malaria, the NHS advises covering arms and legs in the evening, when its mosquitoes are most active.

TravelHealthPro recommends DEET at 50% for all travellers over 2 months who tolerate it. Icaridin (picaridin) at 20% is an alternative with similar protection. You can treat clothing with an insecticide such as permethrin. Where mosquito-borne diseases occur, use air conditioning where available. Otherwise, sleep in screened rooms or under an insecticide-treated mosquito net.

Vaccines cover only some of these diseases, so bite avoidance remains part of the plan.

If you fall ill after travel

See a doctor promptly for a fever during or after a trip, and say where you have been. If you have malaria symptoms after travel to a malaria country in the last 12 months, get urgent medical help. In the UK, seek an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111.

Sources

This article is general information, not medical advice. Ask a doctor or pharmacist about your own health.

Travel vaccines for mosquito destinations: what is available in 2026