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Afghanistan

Central Asia · Asia· Physician brief

Active polio circulation

Wild poliovirus continues to circulate in Afghanistan. Ensure polio vaccination is up to date. For stays longer than 4 weeks, a booster received 4 weeks to 12 months before exit may be required, documented on an International Certificate of Vaccination.

CDC Travel Health Notices ↗ · Updated March 2026

Malaria

Moderate

Dengue

Low

Yellow fever

None

Chikungunya

None

Vaccines

For all travelers

  • Recommended for travel to most low- and middle-income countries.

  • Recommended for travelers eating outside major hotels/restaurants, or stays >1 week.

  • Booster recommended for adults; documentation may be requested at exit for stays >4 weeks.

  • All travelers should be fully vaccinated — two documented doses for those born after 1957.

  • Routine vaccines

    Tdap, varicella, influenza, COVID-19 — per Swiss BAG schedule.

For specific travelers

  • For long-term stays, rural travel, occupational animal exposure, or activities like cycling and hiking in remote areas.

  • Consider per individual risk and stay duration.

  • Cholera

    For high-risk settings (humanitarian aid, refugee camps, outbreak areas).

Disease-specific guidance

Malaria

Moderate

Risk varies sharply by altitude and season. Discuss chemoprophylaxis (atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, or tafenoquine) with a travel medicine specialist before departure.

Regions
All areas below 2000m
Above 2000m
No risk
Season
April–December
Species
P. vivax (primary), P. falciparum
Resistance
Chloroquine-resistant
Malaria risk areas in Afghanistan (CDC).

Yellow fever

None

No yellow fever risk in country. A vaccination certificate is required at entry only for travelers ≥9 months of age arriving from countries with yellow fever transmission risk.

Dengue

Low

Present, primarily in eastern provinces. No vaccine routinely recommended for travelers without prior dengue infection. Daytime mosquito-bite prevention is the main protection.

General prevention

Food & water

Use bottled or treated water. Eat thoroughly cooked food and avoid raw produce you haven't peeled yourself. Healthcare access is limited — preventing traveler's diarrhea is especially important.

Mosquito protection

Use DEET- or picaridin-based repellent, sleep under treated bed nets, and wear long sleeves at dusk and dawn. Particularly important in malaria-risk areas (below 2000m altitude, April–December).

Sources

Based on CDC Travelers’ Health, CDC Yellow Book, and the Swiss Federal Vaccination Schedule (BAG). Always verify current recommendations before travel.

Visiting more than one country?

Build a combined itinerary and get merged recommendations across all destinations.

Plan an itinerary

This brief is for informational purposes and does not replace personalized medical advice.
Consult a travel medicine specialist 4–8 weeks before departure.