Brazil vaccine requirements: mandatory travel vaccines

Dreaming of the beautiful beaches in Brazil? Not sure about whether or not there are Brazil vaccine requirements? Apart from visas, passports, flights, etc. many countries make some specific vaccines mandatory. Here is your full guide on the current Brazil vaccine requirements (mandatory and recommended Brazil travel vaccines) and some health tips.

What vaccines are required for travel to Brazil?

To enter many countries, having a series of vaccines is a requirement. Are there any vaccines needed to travel to Brazil? In theory, there are no mandatory Brazil travel vaccines. 

Although there are no required vaccines needed to travel to Brazil, there are some documents you must show and have on you when traveling to Brazil. Having a Brazil visa and a passport are some of the requirements. Check all Brazil entry requirements before your trip. 

What are the recommended Brazil travel vaccines?

If you want to visit some of the best places to visit in Brazil, it is highly recommended being vaccinated against certain diseases. Visitors to Brazil should always follow the guidelines of their country of origin about vaccination schedules. Nevertheless, these are the general recommended Brazil travel vaccines for all travelers: 

• Yellow fever (at least ten days before the trip). The country has seen multiple yellow fever outbreaks throughout the country. It is a vaccine recommended for all travelers older than 9 months. It is specially important if you plan to visit Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Bahia, Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Distrito Federal (including the capital city, Brasília), Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraná, Piauí, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Tocantins, and Iguaçu Falls.  
• COVID-19. It is no longer required to show proof of vaccination against Covid-19, but it is important you have the vaccine.
• Be up to date with these following vaccines: chickenpox (varicella), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, polio, measle-mumps-rubella (MMR), flu (influenza) and shingles.

Other recommended vaccines for most travelers (they depend more on the specific situation of each visitor to Brazil) are:

• Hepatitis A: recommended for those who are not vaccinated against it and are above 1 year old.
• Hepatitis B: recommended for those who are younger than 60 years old.
• Typhoid: recommended for most travelers, but specially if you are visiting smaller cities and rural areas. 
• Rabies: recommended if you are planning on being around dogs or wildlife, you are a camper or cave explorer, you are a vet or a biologist or similar or if you are visiting a rural area. 
• Meningococcal Meningitis.
• Tuberculosi.

Please make sure at least 6 weeks before your trip, you have all necessary vaccines depending on your health and situation. Ask your doctor about mandatory Brazil travel vaccines for your case.  

More health advice besides the vaccines needed to travel to Brazil 

While it is true that it highly depends on the area of Brazil you are traveling to, there is risk of malaria, zika virus and dengue and other diseases of this sort. Before any trip to Brazil, you should ask your doctor what precautions to take. For example, for malaria, your doctor might recommend starting your treatment before,during and after your trip to Brazil.

Although the specific treatment will be given by your doctor, you can follow these general recommendations in order to protect yourself and avoid bug bites:

• Travel to Brazil with insect repellent.
• Cover your skin with long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and hats. 
• Stay in air-conditioned or screened rooms and use a bed net if possible.
• Carry a small first-aid kit.

Apart from mosquito-borne diseases, all visitors to Brazil must avoid drinking contaminated water, eating raw fruits and vegetables that haven’t been washed properly, consuming unpasteurized dairy products and eating from street vendors that don’t comply with the utmost hygienic standards. Don’t let travelers’ diarrhea or any other travel-related illness spoil your trip. 

Lastly, wash your hands often, carry with you some hand sanitizer, don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth without cleaning thoroughly your hands, and try to avoid contact with people who are sick.

If you were to need medical assistance or help, you can call these services:

• 192: SAMU (Mobile Emergency Medical Service)
• 190: Military Police
• 193: Fire Department
• 191: Federal Highway Police