Zambia

Schistosomiasis (bilharzia) in Lake Kariba and the Zambezi

Schistosomiasis (bilharzia) is present in Zambian freshwater, including Lake Kariba and the Zambezi River. Travelers are sometimes exposed during swimming, canoeing, or water sports. There is no vaccine and no reliable way to tell if water is safe. Avoid contact with untreated freshwater. The mist at Victoria Falls and chlorinated pools are not a schistosomiasis risk; the 'Devil's Pool' and swimming in the river are. Discuss screening and treatment (praziquantel) with your doctor if exposed.

CDC / WHO ↗ · Updated 2026

Yellow fever certificate only if arriving from a risk country

CDC does not consider Zambia a yellow fever risk country (vaccine not generally recommended, including for the Northwestern and Western Provinces), and the vaccine is not routinely recommended for travel from Switzerland. However, a YF vaccination certificate may be required if you are arriving from — or have recently transited — a country with yellow fever transmission risk. Direct travel from Switzerland is not affected.

WHO / Zambia entry requirements ↗ · Updated 2026

Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip — per the Swiss BAG schedule. These include:

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, Tdap)
• Influenza (flu)
• Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
• Polio
• COVID-19

Consider for travelers to areas with active transmission, aid and healthcare workers, those staying in poor sanitary conditions, or with increased individual risk. No internal disease page — discuss with your travel clinic.

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.

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

Particularly recommended for: long stays; high individual risk regardless of duration (cycling/motorbike trips, hiking and remote travel, small children, those working with animals, cavers — bats). Post-exposure care can be hard to obtain locally.

Recommended for most travelers, particularly those visiting rural areas, staying with friends and relatives, on longer trips, or in poor hygienic conditions.