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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 Ecuador.

  • 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 because you can get hepatitis A through contaminated food or water in Ecuador, regardless of where you are eating or staying.
Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommended Recommended, especially for those who have sexual contact, contaminated needles, blood products, get a tattoo or piercing, or have any medical procedures.
Japanese Encephalitis Not endemic
Malaria Vaccine Recommended Recommended: Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, or primaquine. Drug resistance: Chloroquine. Areas of risk: All areas at altitudes below 1,500 m (4,921 ft). Not present in the cities of Guayaquil, Quito, and the Galapagos Islands.
Meningococcal Meningitis Not endemic
Rabies Vaccine Recommended Recommended 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), for people who will be working with or around animals (such as veterinarians, wildlife professionals, and researchers), for people who are taking long trips or moving to remote areas in Ecuador, and for 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, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.
Yellow Fever Vaccine Recommended Recommended for all travelers e9 months of age traveling to areas <2,300 m (7,546 ft) in elevation in the following provinces east of the Andes Mountains: Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Sucumbios, and Zamora-Chinchipe. Generally not recommended for travelers whose itineraries are limited to areas <2,300 m (7,546 ft) in elevation in the following provinces west of the Andes mountains: Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Rios, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, and designated areas of Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Imbabura, Loja, Pichincha, and Tungurahua. Not recommended for travelers whose itineraries are limited to all areas >2,300 m (7,546 ft) in elevation, the cities of Guayaquil and Quito, or the Galápagos Islands.

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.