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Eritrea

East Africa · Africa · 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 — entry certificate may be required

Eritrea is not a yellow-fever-endemic country, but a vaccination certificate is required for travelers arriving from (or transiting through) a country with risk of YF transmission. Direct travel from Switzerland is not affected. Carry your International Certificate of Vaccination if combining Eritrea with other African destinations.

WHO / Eritrean entry requirements ↗ · Updated 2026

Meningitis belt — seasonal meningococcal risk

Eritrea lies in the African meningitis belt. Meningococcal vaccination is recommended for travelers visiting affected areas during the dry season (roughly December–June) and for closer contact with the local population.

CDC / WHO ↗ · Updated 2026

Malaria

Moderate

Dengue

Low

Yellow fever

Low

Chikungunya

None

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
Hepatitis A

Recommended for all travelers. Note for Swiss travelers: Hepatitis A is not part of the routine Swiss BAG childhood schedule, so most adult travelers will need vaccination.

CDC Yellow Book
Hepatitis B

Consider per individual risk and stay duration. Routine in Swiss childhood schedule since 1998 — younger travelers usually covered.

CDC Yellow Book
Meningococcal

Recommended for travel to meningitis-belt areas during the dry season (December–June) and for close contact with the local population. The quadrivalent ACWY vaccine is used.

CDC Yellow Book
Rabies

Recommended for long stays, rural travel, cycling/motorbike trips, work with animals, and for infants and children. Rabid dogs are common and post-exposure vaccine may be limited outside urban areas.

CDC Yellow Book
Typhoid

Recommended for most travelers, especially those visiting rural areas or staying with friends and relatives.

CDC Yellow Book
Yellow fever

Not recommended by CDC for the main inhabited regions and not endemic; relevant mainly for the entry certificate when arriving from a YF-risk country (see country alert).

CDC Yellow Book

Disease-specific guidance

Malaria

Moderate

Malaria is present year-round in all areas below 2,200 m. The capital Asmara (~2,325 m) and other high-altitude areas have no malaria transmission. P. falciparum predominates (~80–85%) and is chloroquine-resistant. Chemoprophylaxis (atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine or tafenoquine) is recommended for lowland travel.

Risk area
All areas <2,200 m
No risk
Asmara and other high-altitude areas
Species
P. falciparum ~80–85%, P. vivax ~15–20%
Resistance
Chloroquine-resistant
Prevention
Chemoprophylaxis + bite protection below 2,200 m
Malaria risk areas in Eritrea (CDC).

Yellow fever

Low

Eritrea is not yellow-fever-endemic, and CDC does not recommend the vaccine for the main regions. A vaccination certificate is, however, required for travelers arriving from a YF-risk country (see country alert). Direct travel from Switzerland is not affected.

CDC
Not recommended (not endemic)
Entry rule
Cert required if arriving from YF-risk country

Dengue

Low

Dengue transmission occurs in lowland and coastal areas via daytime-biting Aedes mosquitoes. Mosquito-bite prevention is the main protection; risk is lower in the cooler highlands.

Distribution
Lowland and coastal areas
Mosquito
Aedes — bites during daytime

General prevention

Food & water

Use bottled or treated water, avoid ice and unpeeled produce, and eat thoroughly cooked food. Standard precautions reduce the risk of traveler's diarrhea, hepatitis A and typhoid. Healthcare access is limited, especially outside Asmara.

Mosquito protection

Mosquito-bite prevention (DEET or picaridin repellent, long sleeves, treated bed nets) is essential below 2,200 m, where malaria is present year-round. Asmara and other high-altitude areas are malaria-free. Dengue and sand-fly-borne leishmaniasis also occur in lowland areas.

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?

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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.