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Bolivia

South America · Physician brief

📝Draft — pending physician review
📝Draft — pending physician review. This brief was compiled from CDC, WHO, and EKRM/HealthyTravel sources (June 2026) and has not yet been verified by a clinician. Confirm specifics with a travel-medicine professional before relying on it.

Yellow fever certificate required for risk areas

Bolivia requires proof of yellow fever vaccination for travellers age 1 year and older arriving who intend to visit a yellow-fever risk area (the lowlands below 2,300 m east of the Andes). Direct travellers staying only in La Paz, Sucre, or the high Altiplano are generally exempt, but carrying the certificate avoids problems. Allow at least 10 days between vaccination and travel for protection to develop.

Bolivian health authorities / WHO IHR ↗ · Updated 2026

Altitude illness — La Paz, Uyuni, Lake Titicaca

Much of Bolivia's tourist circuit sits very high: La Paz (~3,600 m), Uyuni salt flats (~3,650 m), and Lake Titicaca (~3,800 m). Acute mountain sickness is common on rapid ascent. Plan a gradual itinerary, allow acclimatisation days, and discuss acetazolamide prophylaxis with your travel medicine specialist. This is a non-infectious risk and is not prevented by any vaccine.

EKRM / HealthyTravel ↗ · Updated 2026

Chikungunya activity (Santa Cruz, Cochabamba)

The CDC has noted increased chikungunya transmission in the Santa Cruz and Cochabamba departments. Strict daytime mosquito-bite prevention is the main protection; vaccination may be discussed for some travellers (see below).

CDC Travel Health Notices ↗ · Updated 2026

Malaria

Moderate

Dengue

Moderate

Yellow fever

Moderate

Chikungunya

Low

Vaccines

VaccineRecommendationReference
Routine vaccines

Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip — per the Swiss BAG schedule. These include:

BAG Impfplan
Chikungunya

Vaccination may be considered during active local outbreaks (e.g. Santa Cruz/Cochabamba) or for extended stays in high-incidence areas. Not routine for short tourist visits (see EKRM statement).

—
Dengue

Qdenga is recommended only for travelers with a documented prior dengue infection who will be exposed in a high-transmission region. Not for first-time visitors — primary infection after vaccination can be more severe.

—
Hepatitis A

Recommended for all travelers to Bolivia. Not part of the routine Swiss BAG childhood schedule, so most adult travelers will need vaccination. Two doses 6–12 months apart give long-term protection; a single dose covers the trip.

CDC Yellow Book
Hepatitis B

Consider for travelers who may receive medical or dental care, get tattoos or piercings, have new sexual contacts, or stay longer. Part of the routine Swiss childhood schedule since 2019 — most younger travelers are already protected.

CDC Yellow Book
Rabies

Pre-exposure recommended for long stays, cyclists, motorcyclists, hikers in remote areas, young children, animal workers, and cavers (bat exposure). Pre-exposure simplifies post-bite management — only 2 vaccine doses needed afterwards and no immunoglobulin.

CDC Yellow Book
Typhoid

Recommended for long-stay travelers, those visiting friends and relatives, off-the-beaten-track itineraries, and travelers with reduced gastric acidity. Less essential for short stays in tourist hubs.

CDC Yellow Book
Yellow fever

Medically advised for travel to areas below 2,300 m east of the Andes — Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz, and designated areas of Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, and Tarija. Not needed for travel limited to La Paz city, Sucre, or above 2,300 m. A single dose gives lifelong protection. Must be given ≥10 days before travel at an authorised Swiss YF centre. Live vaccine: contraindicated in immunosuppression and pregnancy; caution in adults >60 starting a primary series.

CDC Yellow Book

Disease-specific guidance

Malaria

Moderate

Malaria occurs in all areas below 2,500 m, mainly in the Amazon lowlands of the north and east (Beni, Pando, and parts of Santa Cruz, La Paz, and Cochabamba). La Paz city and areas above 2,300 m are no-risk. Roughly 99% of cases are P. vivax with rare P. falciparum; parasites are chloroquine-resistant. Prophylaxis or standby treatment depends on the specific itinerary.

Risk
All areas <2,500 m
Main areas
Amazon lowlands: Beni, Pando, lowland Santa Cruz/La Paz/Cochabamba
No risk
La Paz city, >2,300 m (Altiplano)
Species
~99% P. vivax, rare P. falciparum (chloroquine-resistant)
Prophylaxis
Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine
Malaria risk areas in Bolivia (CDC).

Yellow fever

Moderate

Yellow fever is endemic in Bolivia's lowlands east of the Andes below 2,300 m — Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz, and designated areas of Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, and Tarija. La Paz city, Sucre, and the high Altiplano are no-risk. Vaccination is recommended for the risk areas and a certificate is required for travellers heading there.

Vaccine
Single dose, lifelong protection
Timing
≥10 days before travel
Recommended
Lowlands <2,300 m east of Andes
Risk depts
Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz; parts of Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Tarija
Not needed
La Paz city, Sucre, >2,300 m
Entry rule
Certificate required for risk-area travel (age 1+)
Yellow fever vaccine recommendation areas in Bolivia (CDC).

Dengue

Moderate

Dengue is endemic in the lowlands with year-round transmission and rainy-season peaks; risk is concentrated in Santa Cruz and the tropical east and north. Daytime mosquito-bite prevention is the main protection for every traveler heading below 2,000 m.

Distribution
Lowlands; Santa Cruz, tropical east/north
Vector
Aedes aegypti — daytime biter
Season
Year-round; peaks in the rainy season

Chikungunya

Low

Chikungunya circulates in the lowlands, with increased transmission noted in Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. Same daytime Aedes vector as dengue, so dengue prevention also protects against chikungunya. Joint pain can persist for months. Vaccination is considered in outbreak settings (see EKRM statement).

Zika

Present

Zika is transmitted by daytime Aedes mosquitoes in the lowlands. Pregnancy and pre-conception planning are the key clinical concerns: pregnant women should avoid travel to risk areas, and couples should use condoms during travel and for 3 months after return.

General prevention

Food & water

Standard food and water precautions, particularly outside major cities and in the lowlands. Use bottled or filtered water for drinking and brushing teeth in rural regions and the Amazon basin. These precautions reduce traveler's diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid risk.

Mosquito protection

Mosquito-bite prevention is essential below 2,500 m, where dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and malaria all occur. Daytime-biting Aedes mosquitoes (dengue, Zika, chikungunya) require day protection; Anopheles (malaria) bite from dusk into the night. Use DEET 30%+ or picaridin 20%, long sleeves at peak biting times, and screened or air-conditioned rooms. Permethrin-treated clothing for trips into the Amazon. No mosquito risk on the high Altiplano (La Paz, Uyuni, Lake Titicaca).

Sources

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

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