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Laos

Southeast Asia · Asia · 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

Laos requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate from travelers arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. There is no yellow fever in Laos itself. Direct travel from Switzerland is not affected.

WHO / EKRM ↗ · Updated 2026

Malaria

Low

Dengue

High

Yellow fever

None

Chikungunya

Moderate

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® vaccination currently recommended only for travelers with documented prior dengue infection who will be exposed in a region with high dengue transmission.

—
Hepatitis A

Recommended for all travelers to tropical and subtropical countries. 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 the Swiss childhood schedule since 1998 — younger travelers are usually already covered.

CDC Yellow Book
Japanese encephalitis

Consider for travelers spending a month or more in rural areas, or shorter stays involving extensive rural/outdoor exposure. Not needed for a short urban itinerary.

—
Rabies

Particularly recommended for: long stays; high individual risk regardless of duration (cycling/motorbike trips, hiking in remote areas, infants and children, those working with animals, cavers — bats!). Rabid dogs are commonly found in Laos and reliable post-exposure care can be hard to access in rural areas.

CDC Yellow Book
Typhoid

Recommended for most travelers, particularly those visiting rural areas, staying with friends and relatives, long-term travelers, or those with individual risk factors.

CDC Yellow Book

Disease-specific guidance

Malaria

Low

Risk is concentrated in the southern provinces (e.g. Attapeu, Champasak, Khammouane, Salavan, Savannakhet, Sekong), with only rare cases in the north. There is no risk in Vientiane or Luang Prabang — mosquito protection only. Chemoprophylaxis is recommended for travel into the southern provinces; chloroquine and mefloquine resistance are documented.

Higher risk
Southern provinces (Champasak, Savannakhet, Salavan, Sekong, etc.)
No risk
Vientiane, Luang Prabang
Resistance
Chloroquine & mefloquine resistant
Prevention
Chemoprophylaxis for southern provinces; bite protection elsewhere
Malaria risk areas in Laos (CDC).

Yellow fever

None

No yellow fever risk in country. A YF certificate is required for travelers arriving from a YF-risk country. See country alert for details. Direct travel from Switzerland is not affected.

Dengue

High

Endemic year-round throughout Laos, with peaks during the rainy season. Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and other towns all have transmission. Daytime mosquito-bite prevention is the main protection.

Distribution
Nationwide, incl. Vientiane & Luang Prabang
Season
Year-round; peaks in rainy season
Mosquito
Aedes — bites during daytime

Chikungunya

Moderate

Sporadic transmission via the same daytime Aedes mosquito as dengue, so dengue bite-prevention measures also protect against chikungunya. Routine vaccination is generally not recommended; it may be considered in outbreak settings (see EKRM statement).

General prevention

Food & water

Use bottled or filtered water, avoid ice from unverified sources, and pay attention to food hygiene. Standard tropical precautions reduce the risk of traveler's diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid — especially relevant when eating at street stalls and in rural areas.

Mosquito protection

Dengue circulates year-round, including in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, so daytime mosquito protection (DEET or picaridin repellent, long sleeves) is essential. For trips to the southern provinces and rural areas, also protect at dawn and dusk against malaria and Japanese encephalitis.

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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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.