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Guyana

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 — recommended countrywide; certificate on entry

Guyana lies within the yellow-fever-endemic zone and CDC recommends vaccination for all travellers age 9 months and older. A vaccination certificate is required for travellers arriving from a country with risk of YF transmission. Travellers arriving directly from Switzerland are not subject to the entry requirement but should still be vaccinated for protection. Allow ≥10 days between vaccination and travel.

Guyana health authorities / WHO IHR ↗ · Updated 2026

Malaria in the interior — falciparum significant

Malaria occurs throughout Guyana except the cities of Georgetown and New Amsterdam, and the forested interior carries substantial risk. Roughly 40% of cases are P. falciparum, the potentially severe form, so chemoprophylaxis is recommended for travel into risk areas. Discuss a regimen and timing with your travel medicine specialist before departure.

CDC Travelers' Health ↗ · Updated 2026

Malaria

High

Dengue

Moderate

Yellow fever

High

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
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 Guyana. 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 most travelers, especially those visiting friends and relatives, smaller towns, or rural and interior areas, and those with reduced gastric acidity.

CDC Yellow Book
Yellow fever

Recommended for all travelers age 9 months and older to Guyana, which lies within the endemic zone. 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. Carry the certificate — it is required when arriving from a YF-risk country.

CDC Yellow Book

Disease-specific guidance

Malaria

High

Malaria occurs throughout Guyana except in the cities of Georgetown and New Amsterdam, with the forested interior carrying the highest risk. Around 60% of cases are P. vivax and 40% P. falciparum — the significant falciparum share makes chemoprophylaxis important for interior travel. Parasites are chloroquine-resistant.

Risk
Whole country except Georgetown & New Amsterdam
Highest risk
Forested interior
No risk
Georgetown, New Amsterdam
Species
~60% P. vivax, ~40% P. falciparum (chloroquine-resistant)
Prophylaxis
Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine
Malaria risk areas in Guyana (CDC).

Yellow fever

High

Guyana lies entirely within the yellow-fever-endemic zone of South America. CDC recommends vaccination for all travellers age 9 months and older. A vaccination certificate is required when arriving from a country with risk of YF transmission.

Vaccine
Single dose, lifelong protection
Timing
≥10 days before travel
Recommended
All travellers ≥9 months
Entry rule
Certificate required if arriving from a YF-risk country
Yellow fever vaccine recommendation areas in the Americas (CDC).

Dengue

Moderate

Dengue is endemic with year-round transmission and outbreaks every few years. Risk is present countrywide including Georgetown. Daytime mosquito-bite prevention is the main protection for every traveler.

Distribution
Countrywide, year-round
Vector
Aedes aegypti — daytime biter
Pattern
Outbreaks every 2–5 years

Chikungunya

Low

Chikungunya circulates in the region and shares the same daytime Aedes vector as dengue, so dengue prevention also protects against it. Joint pain can persist for months. Vaccination is considered in outbreak settings or for extended stays in high-incidence areas (see EKRM statement).

Zika

Present

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

General prevention

Food & water

Standard tropical food and water precautions throughout. Use bottled or filtered water for drinking and brushing teeth, especially outside Georgetown and in the interior. These precautions reduce traveler's diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid risk.

Mosquito protection

Strict mosquito-bite prevention is essential. Guyana has year-round dengue and Zika plus malaria across most of the country. Daytime-biting Aedes mosquitoes (dengue, Zika) 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 is strongly advised for any trip into the forested interior.

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.