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Vaccination and Health Risks

Your doctor can give you important advice and prescribe vaccines and medications to help you stay safe while traveling abroad. The following are vaccinations and medications you and your physician may wish to consider before travel to Malaysia.

  • To have the most benefit, see a doctor at least 4-6 weeks before your trip to allow time for your vaccines to take effect. If you are leaving sooner, it is still important to see a doctor as soon as possible for vaccines, medications and information about how to protect yourself from illness and injury while traveling.
  • Your doctor will make specific recommendations, depending on your health and immunization history, areas of the country you will be visiting, planned activities and other factors. If your travel plans will take you to more than one country during a single trip, be sure to let your health-care provider know. Long-term travelers, such as those who plan to work or study abroad, may also need additional vaccinations as required by their employer or school.
  • If you have a chronic medical condition, share your travel plans with any doctors who are currently treating you.

Vaccine or Disease

Risk

Vaccination or Treatment Recommendations

Routine Vaccine Recommended Recommended if you are not up-to-date with routine shots such as, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, etc.
Hepatitis A Vaccine Recommended Recommended
Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommended Recommended, especially for those who might be exposed to blood or body fluids, have sexual contact with the local population, or be exposed through medical treatment (e.g., for an accident).
Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine Recommended Recommended if visiting rural areas. The vaccine is not routinely recommended for travelers who plan to visit urban areas only. Their is a year-round transmission risk, with most cases from Penang, Perak, Selangor, Johor and Sarawak. Travelers with extensive outdoor, evening, and nighttime exposure in rural areas, such as might be experienced while bicycling, camping, working outdoors, or sleeping in unscreened structures without bed nets, may be at high risk even if their trip is brief.
Malaria Vaccine Recommended Recommended: atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine. Drug resistance: Chloroquine. Present in rural areas. None in Georgetown, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang State (including Penang Island).
Meningococcal Meningitis Not endemic
Rabies Vaccine Recommended Recommended only for: Travelers involved in outdoor and other activities in remote areas that put them at risk for animal bites (such as adventure travel and caving). People who will be working with or around animals (such as veterinarians, wildlife professionals, and researchers). People who are taking long trips or moving to remote areas in Malaysia Children, because they tend to play with animals, might not report bites, and are more likely to have animal bites on their head and neck.
Typhoid Vaccine Recommended Recommended
Yellow Fever Vaccine Recommended Proof of yellow fever vaccination required if traveling from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission and at least 1 year of age, including transit at least 12 hours in an airport located in a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.

Resource Links

This document is not a complete medical guide for travelers to this region. Conditions change over time and the recommendations for various countries at the time you travel may differ from the recommendations listed here. Consult with your doctor or visit the CDC website for specific information related to your needs and your medical history; recommendations may differ for pregnant women, young children, and persons who have chronic medical conditions.

Be sure to read the information about all the regions you are planning to visit.