India

1 · Current outbreaks & official health notices

2 · Vaccines & medicines (CDC Travelers' Health)

• Routine vaccines

  Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip. Some of these vaccines include Chickenpox (Varicella) Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, Tdap, or Td) Flu (influenza) Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Polio Shingles

• COVID-19

  All eligible travelers should be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. Please see Your COVID-19 Vaccination for more information.

• Chikungunya

  There is elevated chikungunya risk in India. Chikungunya vaccination may be considered for people traveling or moving to this location if they are planning to stay for an extended period of time (for example, 6 months or more).

• Cholera

  Cholera is presumed to be present in India. Cholera is rare in travelers. Certain factors may increase the risk of getting cholera or having severe disease ( more information ). Avoiding unsafe food and water and washing your hands can also help prevent cholera. Vaccination may be considered for children and adults who are traveling to areas of active cholera transmission.

• Hepatitis A

  Recommended for unvaccinated travelers one year old or older going to India. Infants 6 to 11 months old should also be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. The dose does not count toward the routine 2-dose series. Travelers allergic to a vaccine component should receive a single dose of immune globulin, which provides effective protection for up to 2 months depending on dosage given. Unvaccinated travelers who are over 40 years old, are immunocompromised, or have chronic medical conditions planning to depart to a risk area in less than 2 weeks should get the initial dose of vaccine and at the same appointment receive immune globulin.

• Hepatitis B

  Recommended for unvaccinated travelers younger than 60 years old traveling to India. Unvaccinated travelers 60 years and older may get vaccinated before traveling to India.

• Japanese Encephalitis

  Recommended for travelers who Are moving to an area with Japanese encephalitis to live Spend long periods of time, such as a month or more, in areas with Japanese encephalitis Frequently travel to areas with Japanese encephalitis Consider vaccination for travelers Spending less than a month in areas with Japanese encephalitis but will be doing activities that increase risk of infection, such as visiting rural areas, hiking or camping, or staying in places without air conditioning, screens, or bed nets Going to areas with Japanese encephalitis who are uncertain of their activities or how long they will be there Not recommended for travelers planning short-term travel to urban areas or travel to areas with no clear Japanese encephalitis season.

• Malaria

  CDC recommends that travelers going to certain areas of India take prescription medicine to prevent malaria. Depending on the medicine you take, you will need to start taking this medicine multiple days before your trip, as well as during and after your trip. Talk to your doctor about which malaria medication you should take. Transmission areas Throughout the country, including the cities of Bombay (Mumbai) and New Delhi (the capital) No malaria transmission in areas >2,000 m (>6,500 ft) elevation, which include areas in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Ladakh, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, or Uttarakhand Drug resistance 1 Chloroquine Species P. falciparum (60%) P. vivax (40%) P. malariae and P. ovale (rare) Recommended chemoprophylaxis Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, tafenoquine 2 Updated April 23, 2025 See footnotes

• Measles

  Cases of measles are on the rise worldwide. Travelers are at risk of measles if they have not been fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure, or have not had measles in the past, and travel internationally to areas where measles is spreading. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, including an early dose for infants 6–11 months, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel .

• Monkeypox

  Monkeypox vaccination is recommended for any adult who anticipates any of the following activities during travel: Sexual or intimate contact with a new partner Sexual or intimate contact at a commercial sex venue, like a sex club or bathhouse Sexual or intimate contact in exchange for money, goods, drugs, or other trade Sexual or intimate contact in association with a large public event, such as a rave, party, or festival Get your first monkeypox vaccine at least 6 weeks before traveling if you can, or as far as possible before travel if fewer than 6 weeks before you leave. Two doses of vaccine, given 4 weeks apart, are recommended. After completing your first and second vaccine doses it takes about 2 more weeks to get the best protection against monkeypox. Whether or not you've been vaccinated, continue to take steps to reduce your risk of getting monkeypox while you are away.

• Rabies

  Dogs infected with rabies are commonly found in India. Rabies is also present in some terrestrial wildlife species. If rabies exposures occur while in India, rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country. Rabies pre-exposure vaccination considerations include whether travelers 1) will be performing occupational or recreational activities that increase risk for exposure to potentially rabid animals and 2) might have difficulty getting prompt access to safe post-exposure prophylaxis. Please consult with a healthcare provider to determine whether you should receive pre-exposure vaccination before travel. For more information, see country rabies status assessments .

• Typhoid

  Recommended for most travelers. Typhoid vaccine is not 100% effective. Practicing safe food and water habits , including washing hands at key times , can also help prevent typhoid fever .

• Yellow Fever

  CDC recommendations: Vaccine is not recommended. Country entry requirements: Direct travel from United States: Vaccine is not required. Travel from countries with risk for YF virus transmission (see list of countries below as specified by India): Vaccine is required for travelers ≥9 months old, and any traveler ≥9 months old arriving by air or by sea without a YF vaccination certificate will be detained in isolation for ≤6 days if they: Arrive within 6 days of leaving an area with risk for YF virus transmission, or Have been in such an area in transit (exception: passengers and members of flight crews who, while in transit through an airport in an area with risk for YF virus transmission, remained in the airport during their entire stay and the health officer agrees to such an exemption), or Arrive on a ship that started from or touched at any port in an area with risk for YF virus transmission ≤30 days before its arrival in India, unless such a ship has been disinsected in accordance with the procedure recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), or Arrive on an aircraft that has been in an area with risk for YF virus transmission and has not been disinsected in accordance with the Indian Aircraft Public Health Rules, 1954, or as recommended by WHO. The following countries are regarded by the Government of India as areas with risk for YF virus transmission. Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Uganda Americas: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago (Trinidad only), Venezuela Note: When a case of YF is reported from any country, the Government of India regards that country as an area with risk for YF virus transmission and adds it to the above list. Updated April 23, 2025

Quoted from CDC's India destination page. These are general recommendations — which vaccines or medicines are right for you depends on your health, itinerary and activities. Discuss them with a healthcare provider or travel clinic.

3 · How to protect yourself

• See a healthcare provider or travel clinic at least a month before you leave.
• Pack hand sanitizer, a well-fitting mask, any regular medicines (in original containers), and insect repellent if visiting tropical areas.
• Eat food that is cooked and served hot; drink bottled or treated water where tap water may be unsafe.
• Avoid contact with animals, including at markets and farms.

If you get sick while traveling

• For non-emergency illness, contact your hotel, travel insurer or the nearest embassy for a list of local doctors and hospitals.
• Tell the clinician where you have traveled and any animal, mosquito or sick-person contact.
• Check that your health insurance covers care abroad; consider travel health and medical-evacuation insurance.

After you return

• If you develop a fever, rash, or other symptoms in the weeks after your trip, see a healthcare provider and tell them where you traveled.
• Some infections (for example measles or malaria) can appear weeks after return; call ahead before visiting a clinic if you have a fever and rash.

Official pages

• CDC Travelers' Health — India
• WHO country page — India