Travel Vaccinations in Singapore

Why Travel Vaccinations Matter

Travel exposes you to infectious diseases that are uncommon or rare in Singapore. Contaminated food and water can carry hepatitis A, typhoid and cholera. Mosquito bites in rural Asia can transmit Japanese encephalitis or dengue. Animal bites in many destinations carry a rabies risk. Some countries with active yellow fever transmission won't let you enter without proof of vaccination.

The goal of a pre-travel consultation isn't to vaccinate against everything — it is to give you the protection you actually need, in the time you have before departure.

When should I book?

Ideally, 4 to 6 weeks before departure. Many vaccines need multiple doses spaced over weeks or months, and immunity takes 1 to 2 weeks to develop after each dose. If you have a last-minute trip, vaccination is still worthwhile — for example, hepatitis B has an accelerated schedule that completes the primary course in 2 months (doses at 0, 1, 2 months plus a 12-month booster), and a single dose of hepatitis A or typhoid offers meaningful short-term protection. Discuss the best plan with your doctor based on how much time you have before departure.

Travel Vaccines We Offer

Below are the main travel-related vaccines available at our clinics, and what each is for. Doses, how long protection lasts and prices are in the table further down; several also have their own dedicated pages, linked where relevant.

Vaccines specific to travel

• Yellow Fever (Stamaril) — required for entry to many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South America. The certificate is covered in the next section.
• Japanese Encephalitis (Imojev) — for rural or agricultural areas of Asia during transmission season, particularly on longer stays. A live vaccine, so it is not given in pregnancy or significant immunocompromise.
• Typhoid — for South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa and Latin America where food and water hygiene cannot be assured.
• Rabies (Rabipur) — pre-exposure cover for rural travel, work with animals, camping and hiking in rabies-endemic regions, or anywhere medical care is far away. A rapid regimen is possible at short notice. After a bite or scratch you will also need post-exposure doses — note that we do not stock rabies immunoglobulin, so go to the nearest Accident & Emergency department for that.
• Meningococcal (ACWY and B) — MenACWY is mandatory for Hajj / Umrah travel to Saudi Arabia, and recommended for the African meningitis belt in the dry season. MenB covers serogroup B separately.
• Cholera (Dukoral) — an oral course for outbreak zones or where water quality is uncertain. It also gives limited, shorter-lived cross-protection against ETEC travellers' diarrhoea — a secondary benefit, not a dedicated diarrhoea vaccine.

Routine vaccines often updated before travel

• Hepatitis A — 2-dose course; the most commonly indicated travel vaccine for most destinations outside Japan, Singapore and high-income countries
• Hepatitis B — 3-dose course; for longer stays, healthcare-related travel, or potential medical / dental exposure abroad
• MMR catch-up — recommended if you have no record of two childhood doses; measles outbreaks are active in parts of Asia and Europe
• Tdap booster (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) — recommended every 10 years and before close contact with newborns
• Annual flu vaccine — useful for any travel, especially during transmission seasons in your destination's hemisphere
• Varicella (chickenpox) — 2-dose course for adults without prior chickenpox or vaccination, particularly important before extended travel or healthcare work
• RSV vaccine — single dose for adults aged 60 and above, offering protection against respiratory syncytial virus
• HPV (Cervarix 2 or Gardasil 9), pneumococcal, and shingles — routine adult vaccines that may be due regardless of travel; worth combining into the same visit

What to Expect at Your Pre-Travel Visit

1. Itinerary review — your doctor goes through your destination(s), dates, accommodation, planned activities, and existing vaccination history. Takes around 15 to 20 minutes for a typical multi-vaccine consultation.
2. Vaccine plan — recommendations are tailored to your trip and existing immunity, with options laid out clearly (e.g., "you need these three; this one is optional"). Pricing is transparent before you proceed.
3. Vaccines administered — multiple vaccines can usually be given at the same visit, in different arms or at separate sites. Live vaccines may need spacing — your doctor will explain.
4. Brief observation — a short wait (typically 15 minutes) to check for any immediate reactions.
5. Certificates & follow-up — you receive a vaccination record for your trip, including the ICVP if Yellow Fever was administered. Follow-up doses (e.g., second hepatitis A, second rabies) are scheduled where needed.

Common side effects

• Soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site for 1–2 days
• Mild fever, headache or tiredness
• Occasionally, mild nausea
• Yellow fever can occasionally cause flu-like symptoms 5 to 10 days after vaccination — usually self-limiting

Serious reactions are rare. Seek urgent medical help for signs of a severe allergic reaction (difficulty breathing, facial swelling) or a widespread rash.

Pregnancy and immunocompromised travellers

The dividing line is live versus inactivated. Inactivated travel vaccines — typhoid injection, rabies, meningococcal, Dukoral — are generally safe for both groups where clinically indicated. The live ones — yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis (Imojev), MMR and varicella — are avoided: in pregnancy unless the risk of disease clearly outweighs the theoretical risk to the baby, and in significant immunosuppression (biologics, high-dose steroids, active chemotherapy, post-transplant, or HIV with a low CD4 count), where they are generally contraindicated.

Either way the pre-travel consultation matters more, not less. Your doctor will work through the risk and benefit case by case, and where a live vaccine cannot be given safely we may suggest alternatives, preventive medication, or adjustments to the itinerary.

Travel health insurance

Vaccinations reduce but do not eliminate risk. We strongly recommend comprehensive travel health insurance covering medical care abroad, medical evacuation, and any pre-existing conditions — healthcare costs overseas (particularly in the US and parts of Europe) can be substantial.

Travel Vaccinations Price in Singapore

Most travel-specific vaccines are not on Singapore's Nationally Recommended Vaccines list under the NAIS, so they are not MediSave-claimable and are paid out of pocket. Routine vaccines that overlap with NAIS (e.g., hepatitis B, MMR, flu, HPV) may still be MediSave-claimable for eligible Singaporeans — our team will check during your consultation. Pricing across our four clinics:

^* Prices are NETT and inclusive of GST. Consultation fees are charged separately. Travel vaccines listed in the top section are not MediSave-claimable; routine vaccines in the bottom section may be MediSave-claimable for eligible Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents.

Last updated: Jun 26, 2026. While every effort is made to keep pricing information up to date, please WhatsApp 8095 3275 to confirm the latest rates.