Travel vaccinations for Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi or Borneo? Our GPhC registered pharmacists check your itinerary against TravelHealthPro guidance and arrange the travel vaccinations and advice you need, at our Longridge, Preston clinic.
Bring your route, travel dates and vaccination records.
Travel vaccinations for Malaysia
What you need depends on your trip, and we can confirm it with you at your consultation.
Malaysia is an easy country to travel well in, from Kuala Lumpur’s food streets and Penang’s heritage quarter to Langkawi’s beaches, the Cameron Highlands and the rainforests of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo. What you need protecting against changes with your itinerary, so at your consultation we check your destinations, activities and medical history against TravelHealthPro’s current guidance for Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo and confirm exactly what applies to your trip.
TravelHealthPro recommends hepatitis A and a tetanus booster for most travellers to Malaysia. Typhoid is recommended for most travellers to Malaysian Borneo, and on the mainland for anyone staying longer, visiting friends and relatives or eating widely away from the main resorts. Hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and dengue cover depend on how long you stay, where you go and what you plan to do; Sarawak is the highest-risk area for Japanese encephalitis, with a peak between October and December.
Some vaccines, including hepatitis A and typhoid, may be free at your GP, though same-day appointments are available with us and no GP referral is needed. Malaria risk is low across Malaysia, so most visitors need bite avoidance rather than tablets. See current costs on our Travel Vaccination Price List.
Before you travel
Your pharmacist confirms what applies to you at your consultation.
Which vaccinations do I need for Malaysia?
Your previous vaccinations, health and itinerary all affect the advice. Use these groups to prepare for a consultation; they are not a personal prescription.
Recommended for most travellers
Based on TravelHealthPro guidance for Malaysia. Your pharmacist confirms what applies to you.
The combined diphtheria, tetanus and polio booster, recommended for worldwide travel if your last dose was more than ten years ago.
Hepatitis A vaccination protects against an infection spread through contaminated food and water, recommended for most international destinations.
For the latest recommendations, check TravelHealthPro's Malaysia guidance. Suitability, availability and the number of doses are confirmed at your consultation.
Other vaccines to discuss
Depending on your activities, length of stay and health, these may also be relevant.
Make sure routine UK vaccinations are up to date, including MMR.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate?
The answer depends on the journey you take to reach Malaysia, not only on the destination. These are the usual route cases. Age limits and details vary by country, so confirm current requirements before you leave.
Direct from the UK
Malaysia has no yellow fever risk. Flying from the UK without passing through a risk country, you do not normally need a certificate.
Arriving from a yellow fever risk country
Malaysia requires a certificate from travellers aged over 1 year arriving from a country with yellow fever transmission risk. Tell us every country on your route.
An airport transit longer than 12 hours
A certificate is also required after a transit of more than 12 hours through an airport in a yellow fever risk country. Include the airport and transit time in your enquiry.
Check FCDO entry requirements and TravelHealthPro before you travel. An existing valid certificate lasts for life; bring it with you.
Malaria advice for Malaysia
Malaria risk in Malaysia is low. Mainland Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi and the Cameron Highlands, is low risk, so awareness and bite avoidance are the main advice and tablets are not normally needed. In Malaysian Borneo there is a low risk in inland Sabah and the inland, forested parts of Sarawak, and a very low risk on the coasts. TravelHealthPro notes that tablets may be considered in exceptional circumstances for higher-risk travellers, such as long stays in the interior, pregnant women, young children, the over-70s or anyone with a weakened immune system, so tell us who is travelling. Dengue is common across Malaysia and its mosquitoes bite in the day, so repellent matters everywhere. For the full picture on prevention, medication and pricing, see our dedicated malaria page.
What we need to know
Prepare for the days between destinations
Vaccinations are one part of travel health. Ask about everyday precautions, insurance and access to care as you plan.
Trekking or time at altitude
Tell us about trekking, rapid ascents or stays on higher ground. We can talk through preparing for altitude and recognising when to seek help.
Food, water and your travel kit
Discuss food and water hygiene, oral rehydration supplies and what to do if diarrhoea develops while you are away.
Outdoor and animal encounters
Avoid contact with animals, including strays and wildlife. After any bite or scratch, clean the wound thoroughly and seek urgent local medical care.
Fever during or after your trip
Seek urgent medical advice for a fever during or after travel to a malaria risk area, and say where you have been. Malaria can develop after you return home.
Practical health information: FCDO health advice and TravelHealthPro. These are selected precautions; read the full guidance before you travel.
Your Malaysia consultation
One appointment covers your route, your vaccination history and what to take with you.
Book a Malaysia consultationLeaving sooner?
It is still worth contacting us. Call with your travel dates so we can discuss what may be possible in the time available.
Tell us about your trip
Where you are going, when you leave, how long you stay and what you will be doing.
Review your records and health
Bring your vaccination records. We check them alongside your health and any medicines.
Agree the plan and costs
We explain what is recommended, the number of doses and the price before anything is given.
Prepare for departure
Leave with your certificates, any follow-up dates and the precautions to take while away.
What travellers say about our clinic.
Clear advice, friendly pharmacists and appointments that fit around your plans. Here is what our travel customers have shared.
Malaysia travel questions
Practical answers before you arrange your visit. Anything specific to your trip is covered at your consultation.
What vaccinations do I need for Malaysia?
TravelHealthPro recommends hepatitis A and a tetanus booster (the combined diphtheria, tetanus and polio vaccine) for most travellers to Malaysia, alongside routine UK vaccinations such as MMR. Typhoid is recommended for most visitors to Malaysian Borneo and for longer stays, visits to friends and relatives or travel away from the main resorts on the mainland. Hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and dengue depend on your plans, and we go through them with you at your consultation.
Do I need different vaccinations for Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak)?
The advice for Malaysian Borneo is a step up from the mainland. TravelHealthPro recommends typhoid for most travellers to Borneo, on top of hepatitis A and tetanus. Japanese encephalitis is a consideration for longer or rural stays, with Sarawak the highest-risk area and a seasonal peak from October to December, and rabies is worth discussing for jungle treks and wildlife trips. Malaria risk is low inland and very low on the coast, so tablets are not normally needed. Bring your route and we will match the advice to it.
Do I need malaria tablets for Malaysia?
Not normally. TravelHealthPro classes mainland Malaysia as low risk and Malaysian Borneo as low risk inland and very low risk on the coast, so awareness and bite avoidance are the main advice. Tablets may be considered in exceptional circumstances for travellers at higher risk, such as long stays in the interior of Sabah or Sarawak, pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. Tell us who is travelling and where, and we will advise.
Do I need a typhoid vaccine for Malaysia?
It depends on your trip. TravelHealthPro recommends typhoid for most travellers to Malaysian Borneo, and on the mainland for people visiting friends and relatives, staying for longer, travelling with young children or spending time where food and water hygiene may be poor. Typhoid is a single injection, ideally given at least two weeks before you travel, and protection lasts around three years, so it is a simple addition for anyone unsure.
When should I get my travel vaccinations?
Ideally four to six weeks before you travel. Some courses, such as rabies and hepatitis B, are given over a few weeks, so the earlier you book the better. If your trip is sooner than that, come in anyway, as there is usually still something we can do to protect you.
Which travel vaccines do I actually need?
It depends on where you are going, what you will be doing and how long you are staying. At your consultation we check your itinerary against the latest TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) recommendations and talk through exactly what is advised for your trip.
Do I need a Yellow Fever certificate?
Some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination before they will let you enter. We are a registered Yellow Fever centre, so we can arrange your vaccination and issue your certificate. We will confirm at your consultation whether your destination needs one.
How much do travel vaccinations cost?
Vaccines are priced per dose, and some need more than one dose for the full course, so we always show you the total before we start. You can see current prices on our travel vaccination price list. Some vaccines, such as hepatitis A and typhoid, may be free at your GP, though same-day appointments are available with no GP referral needed.
Do I need malaria tablets as well?
Malaria is prevented with antimalarial tablets, not a vaccine. Whether you need them depends on the region you are visiting and the time of year. We advise on this at your consultation and can prescribe the right tablets for your trip. You can read more on our malaria page.
Are recommended vaccines the same as entry requirements?
No. A vaccine can be recommended to protect your health even where no certificate is needed for entry. Some countries do have certificate requirements linked to where you have travelled or transited, so check both the health advice and the entry rules before you depart. Your route and personal circumstances matter to both.
What if I am visiting several countries?
Share your full route, including stopovers and onward travel. Vaccination advice and malaria prevention can differ between countries, and between regions within a country, so we look at every stop when we plan with you.
Can I get advice for a destination without a guide?
Yes. Our country guides cover the destinations we are asked about most, but every consultation covers your exact itinerary. Contact the clinic with your destination, departure date and travel plans and we will discuss the next step.
Should I check again if I have visited before?
Yes. Advice can change, and a new trip may involve different regions, activities or lengths of stay. Bring your previous vaccination records when you discuss the journey so we can see what is still covered.
Where can I check current destination information?
Use the TravelHealthPro country information for current health guidance and GOV.UK foreign travel advice for entry rules and travel information. Check again closer to departure, and bring anything you are unsure about to your consultation.
Your Malaysia plans.
A clear next step.
Country-specific travel advice on Berry Lane, serving Longridge, Preston and the Ribble Valley.
Longridge Travel Health Clinic54 Berry Ln, Longridge, Preston PR3 3JPGet directions
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