No mandatory vaccination is required for Vietnam from India in 2026, but routine shots plus hepatitis A, typhoid and tetanus are recommended, with malaria pills only for rural forested areas.
Cover image: Floating market boats in the Mekong Delta Vietnam — photo by Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
For travel from India to Vietnam in 2026 no vaccination is compulsory at immigration. There is no yellow fever requirement and no COVID certificate check. What you should carry is protection against food and water illness, mosquito illness and cuts, because Vietnam’s risks are hepatitis A, typhoid, tetanus, dengue and, in pockets, malaria. The Indian Academy of Travel Medicine and the NHS, CDC and WHO lists for Vietnam all converge: ensure routine vaccines are current, add hepatitis A and typhoid for most itineraries, add hepatitis B and rabies if you will be rural or on a motorbike, and consider malaria prophylaxis only for remote forested border districts, not for Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An or Da Nang. Plan jabs 4 to 6 weeks before you fly.
Vaccination timing matters more than the flight. Hepatitis A needs a single dose 2 weeks before travel, typhoid injectable 2 weeks, tetanus booster if your last was over 10 years, and hepatitis B needs 0, 1 and 6 months for full course so start early if you want it. For context on entry, see do you need a visa for Vietnam from India for e-visa steps, how long Vietnam e-visa takes for Indians for processing, is Vietnam safe for Indian tourists for broader health and safety, and do you need vaccinations for Bali from India for a parallel tropical comparison.
Which vaccinations are recommended for Vietnam from India?
| Vaccine or measure | Who needs it from India | Dose timing before travel | Typical cost in India 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis A | All travellers without prior dose | Single dose 14 days before, booster 6 months later | INR 1,500 to 2,200 |
| Typhoid injectable | All eating outside 5-star | Single dose 14 days before, lasts 3 years | INR 1,800 to 2,800 |
| Tetanus diphtheria | If last booster over 10 years | Booster 2 weeks before | INR 600 to 1,000 |
| Hepatitis B | Long stay, healthcare contact, tattoos | 0, 1 and 6 months, accelerated 0, 7, 21 days plus 12 month | INR 400 to 800 per dose |
| Rabies pre-exposure | Rural, caves, motorbike, animal contact | 2 doses days 0 and 7 | INR 2,500 to 4,000 per dose |
Routine MMR, influenza and COVID boosters should be current as per India’s Universal Immunisation Programme. Japanese encephalitis is not routinely recommended for short city trips from India; consider it only for a month in rural rice areas in transmission season June to October. Cholera vaccine is not recommended for tourists. The injectable typhoid Vi polysaccharide is preferred for short trips; the oral Ty21a needs 4 doses on alternate days and a stricter schedule.
Do I need malaria tablets for Vietnam?
For most Indians visiting Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, Da Nang, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, Mui Ne or Phu Quoc, no malaria prophylaxis is recommended. Vietnam’s malaria is now confined to remote forested hills on the Laos and Cambodia borders and parts of the Central Highlands, with very low urban risk. Dengue and Zika are the city mosquito concerns, and they have no tablet, only bite avoidance: DEET 30 to 50 percent, long sleeves at dusk, permethrin on clothes, and screened rooms.
If your plan includes a week in border forests or deep Central Highlands, discuss atovaquone proguanil or doxycycline with an Indian travel clinic. Atovaquone proguanil is started 1 to 2 days before entry and for 7 days after, doxycycline 1 to 2 days before and 4 weeks after, both with sun and gut caveats. For city plus Ha Long plus Hoi An, the clinic will likely advise repellent only and no tablets, which matches CDC and NHS FitForTravel maps for Vietnam in 2026.
Where to get vaccinated in India and what will it cost?
Go 4 to 6 weeks before departure. In metros, travel clinics at Apollo, Fortis, Max and Manipal, plus government International Health sections at major hospitals, stock hepatitis A, typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis B and rabies. Book by phone and carry your prior card. Costs in 2026 are roughly: hepatitis A INR 1,500 to 2,200, typhoid Vi INR 1,800 to 2,800, tetanus INR 600 to 1,000, hepatitis B INR 400 to 800 per dose, rabies INR 2,500 to 4,000 per dose. The total for the core two hepatitis A plus typhoid is about INR 3,300 to 5,000.
- Documents to carry to Vietnam: no vaccine card is checked, but keep your card and prescriptions, especially if you are on malaria tablets.
- What still matters daily: bottled or boiled water, peel fruit, hot cooked street food, hand wash, and repellent every evening from 5 pm.
- If you miss the 4-week window: even 10 to 14 days before still gives partial hepatitis A and typhoid cover; get the jab rather than skip.
A short timing note. If you are combining Vietnam with Thailand or Bali on one India ticket, the same hepatitis A, typhoid and tetanus cover all three, so one clinic visit covers the loop.
Frequently asked questions
Is yellow fever vaccine required for Vietnam from India?
No. Vietnam does not require yellow fever and India is not on its list. No certificate is asked at Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
Should I take malaria tablets for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City?
No. Both cities and the standard tourist circuit are very low risk. Use repellent for dengue instead.
Do children from India need extra vaccines for Vietnam?
Children follow the same list at age-appropriate doses, with strong emphasis on hepatitis A, typhoid if over 2 years, and routine MMR. Check with your paediatrician 6 weeks ahead.
Can I get vaccinated just a week before flying?
You can, and some protection starts in 10 to 14 days, but 4 to 6 weeks is preferred for full response and for spacing multiple jabs.
Sources
- CDC — Vietnam traveller vaccines, routine plus hepatitis A and typhoid recommended
- NHS FitForTravel — Vietnam, hepatitis A and typhoid for most, malaria only remote forested areas
- WHO — International travel and health, Vietnam risk guidance and routine immunisation
- Wikipedia — Visa policy of Vietnam context, no health certificate at entry in 2026
