Recommended
- Standard adult immunisations
- Hepatitis A and B for prolonged stays
Notes
- MMR coverage essential; periodic measles outbreaks in 2024-2025.
Practical guidance
When to book the clinic
Book a travel-health clinic appointment 6 to 8 weeks before departure for United States. Several recommended vaccines (Hepatitis A and B, Japanese Encephalitis, rabies pre-exposure) need a multi-dose schedule that does not compress; the full course can take 4 to 6 weeks. Yellow fever specifically takes 10 days to confer immunity and certificates are only valid 10 days after the shot, so this one is non-negotiable on timing.
Yellow fever specifics for United States
Yellow fever proof is required only if you have transited or stayed in a yellow-fever-endemic country in the 6 days before arriving in United States. If your itinerary is direct from a non-endemic country, no certificate needed; if you are routing via Brazil, sub-Saharan Africa, or northern South America, carry the ICVP.
What “recommended” actually means
The 2 recommended vaccines above are the CDC and WHO guidance for typical travellers to United States. They’re not mandatory at the border; they protect against the diseases endemic to the region. Routine immunisations (MMR, dTaP, polio, COVID-19, annual flu) should already be current regardless of destination. Hepatitis A is the single highest-value travel vaccine for most destinations, transmitted through contaminated food and water, and worth getting even if you only plan to eat in established restaurants.
Cost and where to get them
UK NHS travel clinic is free for routine vaccines, charged at cost for travel-specific ones (yellow fever, Japanese Encephalitis, rabies). US travellers should expect $100 to $300 per dose at a travel clinic; many are not covered by standard health insurance. Cheaper option in some destinations: get yellow fever locally at a government clinic on arrival ($20 to $50 in most South American and African capitals) if your itinerary allows the 10-day window before your next entry. Always ask for the official yellow ICVP booklet, not a generic clinic slip.
Related for United States
More on United States
The United States is a continent of its own, with state-by-state variation that almost no headline number captures. Most foreign travellers visit only the major coastal cities, the southwestern parks, or Florida and Hawaii, and those itineraries are statistically very safe. What kills and injures foreign tourists in the US, in order, is road accidents on long-distance drives, the catastrophic cost of any medical incident without insurance, heat in the desert southwest, and bear/wildlife encounters in national parks. Gun violence is rare in tourist zones but real enough that every major Western advisory addresses it explicitly. This guide covers each.
Frequently asked about United States
What vaccinations do I need for United States?
Recommended vaccines for typical travellers to United States: Standard adult immunisations, Hepatitis A and B for prolonged stays. Yellow fever is required if arriving from a country with yellow-fever transmission. Routine immunisations (MMR, dTaP, polio, COVID-19, flu) should be current regardless of destination. Verify with a travel-health clinic 6 to 8 weeks before departure.
Is yellow fever vaccination required for United States?
Only if you have transited or stayed in a yellow-fever-endemic country in the 6 days before arriving in United States. If your itinerary is direct from a non-endemic country, no certificate is needed.
When should I get my travel vaccinations for United States?
Book a travel-health clinic 6 to 8 weeks before departure. Several recommended vaccines (Hepatitis A and B, Japanese Encephalitis, rabies pre-exposure) need a multi-dose schedule that does not compress; the full course can take 4 to 6 weeks. Yellow fever specifically takes 10 days to confer immunity and certificates are only valid after that window.