Vaccinations for Sri Lanka: Everything you need to know

Sri Lanka has fabulous beaches, jaw-dropping wildlife, and friendly people - making it a popular destination, year round, from the UK. If you’re off to Sri Lanka make sure you stay safe, fit and healthy, with this guide to the most important and commonly recommended travel vaccinations.

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Do I need vaccinations for Sri Lanka?

Travel health is important - and a big part of that is getting your vaccinations up to date before you leave. Failing to do so can mean your holiday is ruined by illness.

This guide walks through the Sri Lanka travel vaccinations which are usually recommended or required - and you can also learn lots more with NHS resources such as the Fit for Travel site².

What vaccinations are required for Sri Lanka?

There’s no legal requirement now to show proof of covid vaccination to enter Sri Lanka³. In effect this means that - aside from yellow fever rules⁴, which we’ll cover next - there are no compulsory vaccinations for Sri Lanka, but there are several that are strongly recommended to all travellers, and some which are optional based on specific need.

Join us as we look into common Sri Lanka vaccination requirements - and where to learn more.

Yellow Fever requirements

If you’re travelling from or transiting through a country where there’s a risk of yellow fever, you’ll need to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate to enter Sri Lanka. These countries are primarily in Africa, Central and South America. If you’re on a multi-stop trip, or transiting through any affected country, check the details well in advance.

Sri Lanka required travel vaccinations

Before you travel to Sri Lanka you’re advised to visit a travel health specialist or doctor. This should be done around 4 weeks before travel if at all possible, to allow time for any boosters or shots to be administered and take effect.

There are some vaccinations which are recommended for all travellers - which we’ll run through here. Some other vaccinations are advised based on individual circumstances - including your own state of health, any underlying conditions, what you plan to do when you’re in Sri Lanka and how long you’ll stay for. This means that a conversation with a specialist can be very helpful, to pick out the most important vaccinations in your own unique case.

Let’s start with some of the required vaccinations for all travellers to Sri Lanka:

Primary courses and boosters for the UK

Before you travel you should check you’re up to date with all primary courses and boosters you’d need for day to day life in the UK. This can include covid vaccinations, MMR, seasonal flu vaccinations and similar. Many of these vaccinations are given when we’re babies - but some are offered to older people or vulnerable groups.

You can learn more about the standard vaccination schedule on the NHS website⁵ - or ask your GP for advice.

Tetanus

Getting a tetanus booster is usually recommended for any traveller to Sri Lanka. Boosters are needed every 10 years, and this can be particularly important if you’ll be travelling in rural areas where access to medical help may be more limited compared to in the UK. Tetanus is caused by a bacteria which lives in soil and can be transmitted through even small cuts, scratches or burns - so even an insignificant injury can turn nasty if you’re not up to date with your vaccines.

Other Sri Lanka travel vaccinations to consider

Some other vaccinations which may be suggested to travellers, depending on their existing vaccination coverage and their plans in Sri Lanka include:

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is passed on through contaminated food or water, or by being in contact with someone else who has been exposed to it. Hepatitis A may be recommended as a vaccination if you’ll be staying in rural areas, undertaking more adventurous travel which may mean being a distance from hospitals, or based on your specific circumstances.

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is passed on through bodily fluids, and relatively commonly found in Sri Lanka. For this reason, this may be recommended if you’re staying for a long time in the country, or if your lifestyle or planned activities may put you at increased risk.

Rabies

Rabies is passed on through contact with infected animals. It is almost always fatal. While vaccination doesn’t provide full immunity, it does buy you time to seek additional medical care if you’re bitten, scratched or otherwise in contact with an infected animal. This is recommended to long stay travellers, people working with animals and anyone else who may be in contact with the disease.

Typhoid

Typhoid is passed on through infected food and water. This vaccination is not usually necessary if you’re travelling somewhere that food safety can be reasonably guaranteed - but it may be a good choice if your specific plans put you at risk.

Japanese encephalitis

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is passed on through mosquito bites, and can be a year round problem in some parts of Sri Lanka. Getting a JE shot is recommended if you’ll be in rural, swampy or muddy areas, or if you’re staying for more than a month.

Health Tips for Travelling to Sri Lanka

Don’t let illness ruin your trip - here are a few common sense health tips to make sure your holiday is memorable for all the right reasons:

• Buy bottled or canned water from known brands and avoid tap water
• Do not eat undercooked or raw meat or seafood, and avoid food that’s been cooked and cooled
• Wash your hands frequently, and carry alcohol based sanitiser for times when hand washing facilities are not available
• Use sun protection and be mindful of dehydration and burning
• Avoid insect bites - take DEET based repellent and wear long sleeves and trousers, particularly at dawn and dusk

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Sources used for this article:

Sources last checked on date: 24-May-2024