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Venezuela

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 for most areas; certificate from Brazil

CDC recommends yellow fever vaccination for most travellers to Venezuela below 2,300 m, excluding the central coastal/capital belt and certain low-risk areas (see disease detail). A vaccination certificate is required for travellers arriving from Brazil. Travellers arriving directly from Switzerland are not subject to the entry requirement but should be vaccinated if visiting risk areas. Allow ≥10 days between vaccination and travel.

Venezuelan health authorities / WHO IHR ↗ · Updated 2026

Malaria resurgence — interior and Angel Falls

Venezuela has seen a major malaria resurgence, with the highest transmission in the southern interior and mining areas of Bolívar and Amazonas states. Risk extends to all areas below 1,700 m and specifically to Angel Falls (Canaima), a popular destination. About a quarter of cases are P. falciparum. Chemoprophylaxis is recommended for travel to risk areas — discuss a regimen with your travel medicine specialist.

CDC Travelers' Health / PAHO ↗ · Updated 2026

Malaria

High

Dengue

High

Yellow fever

Moderate

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 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 Venezuela. 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

Recommended for most travel below 2,300 m. Not recommended for the central coastal/capital belt (Distrito Capital, Aragua, Carabobo, Miranda, Vargas, Yaracuy), the high Andes above 2,300 m, Falcón and Lara states, Margarita Island, Caracas, or Valencia. A single dose gives lifelong protection; give ≥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. Certificate required when arriving from Brazil.

CDC Yellow Book

Disease-specific guidance

Malaria

High

Malaria occurs in all areas below 1,700 m and specifically at Angel Falls (Canaima), with the heaviest transmission in the southern interior and mining areas of Bolívar and Amazonas states amid a multi-year resurgence. No risk above 2,300 m in Mérida/Táchira/Trujillo, in Falcón and Lara, on Margarita Island, or in Caracas and Valencia. About 75% of cases are P. vivax and 25% P. falciparum; parasites are chloroquine-resistant. Chemoprophylaxis is recommended for risk-area travel.

Risk
All areas <1,700 m; Angel Falls (Canaima)
Highest
Bolívar & Amazonas interior/mining areas
No risk
Caracas, Valencia, Margarita Is., Falcón/Lara, >2,300 m
Species
~75% P. vivax, ~25% P. falciparum (chloroquine-resistant)
Prophylaxis
Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine
Malaria risk areas in Venezuela (CDC).

Yellow fever

Moderate

Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for most travel in Venezuela below 2,300 m. It is not recommended for the central coastal/capital belt (Distrito Capital, Aragua, Carabobo, Miranda, Vargas, Yaracuy), the high Andes, Falcón and Lara, Margarita Island, Caracas, or Valencia. A certificate is required when arriving from Brazil.

Vaccine
Single dose, lifelong protection
Timing
≥10 days before travel
Recommended
Most areas <2,300 m
Not needed
Caracas, Valencia, Margarita Is., capital/coastal belt, >2,300 m
Entry rule
Certificate required if arriving from Brazil
Yellow fever vaccine recommendation areas in Venezuela (CDC).

Dengue

High

Dengue is endemic with year-round transmission and rainy-season peaks. Risk is present countrywide in the lowlands including Caracas. Daytime mosquito-bite prevention is the main protection for every traveler.

Distribution
Lowlands countrywide incl. Caracas
Vector
Aedes aegypti — daytime biter
Season
Year-round; rainy-season peaks

Chikungunya

Moderate

Chikungunya circulates in Venezuela and shares the same daytime Aedes vector as dengue, so dengue prevention also protects against it. Joint pain can persist for months. CDC considers routine vaccination generally not recommended; it may be discussed for outbreak settings or extended stays (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 Venezuela, and couples should use condoms during travel and for 3 months after return.

General prevention

Food & water

Standard tropical food and water precautions throughout, particularly outside major cities. Use bottled or filtered water for drinking and brushing teeth. These precautions reduce traveler's diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid risk. Note that medical supplies and safe water can be unreliable in parts of the country.

Mosquito protection

Strict mosquito-bite prevention is essential. Venezuela has year-round dengue, Zika, and chikungunya plus substantial malaria below 1,700 m, including at Angel Falls (Canaima). 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 the interior and Canaima.

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.