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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

Vietnam requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate from travelers (over 1 year of age) arriving from — or having transited through the airport of — a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. There is no yellow fever in Vietnam itself. Direct travel from Switzerland is not affected.

WHO / EKRM ↗ · Updated 2026

Recent alerts

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Level 1 - Global Dengue

Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Samoa, Cook Islands (New Zealand), Mali, Vietnam, New Caledonia (France), Timor-Leste (East…

CDC Travel Health Notices · May 18, 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.

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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

CDC recommends Hepatitis B for unvaccinated travelers of all ages to Vietnam. Routine in the Swiss childhood schedule since 1998 — younger travelers are usually already covered; older travelers should check their status.

CDC Yellow Book
Japanese encephalitis

Consider for travelers spending a month or more in rural rice-growing areas, or shorter stays involving extensive rural/outdoor exposure. Not needed for typical urban or short beach itineraries.

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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 found in Vietnam and post-exposure care can be hard to access in rural areas.

CDC Yellow Book
Typhoid

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

CDC Yellow Book

Disease-specific guidance

Malaria

Low

Risk is limited to defined rural and highland provinces; the major cities, the deltas, and the main tourist circuit are no-risk. Higher risk in the central highland and south-central provinces (e.g. Đắk Lắk, Đắk Nông, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Lâm Đồng, Bình Phước, Ninh Thuận, Khánh Hòa, Tây Ninh). No risk in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hai Phong, Quy Nhon, Halong Bay, and the Mekong and Red River Deltas — mosquito protection only.

Higher risk
Central highlands & south-central rural provinces
No risk
Hanoi, HCMC, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Halong Bay, Mekong & Red River Deltas
Resistance
Chloroquine resistant
Prevention
Chemoprophylaxis for highland provinces; bite protection elsewhere
Malaria risk areas in Vietnam (CDC).

Yellow fever

None

No yellow fever risk in country. A YF certificate is required for travelers arriving from (or transiting the airport of) a YF-risk country. See country alert for details. Direct travel from Switzerland is not affected.

Dengue

High

Endemic year-round throughout Vietnam, with peaks during the rainy season. All major destinations including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and the coastal resorts have transmission. Daytime mosquito-bite prevention is the main protection.

Distribution
Nationwide, all major cities
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 outside major hotels.

Mosquito protection

Dengue circulates year-round across the country, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and coastal resorts, so daytime mosquito protection (DEET or picaridin repellent, long sleeves) is essential. For trips to the central highlands and rural southern/central provinces, 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.

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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.