Travel Vaccinations
Bali Travel Health: Vaccines, Animal Bites and Mosquito Precautions
TRAVEL VACCINATIONS · 6 minute read
Medically reviewed 28 October 2026
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By Abhimanyu Kochhar (Abhi)
GPhC-registered pharmacist · Travel Vaccination Service Manager · Southall Branch Manager
For Bali, review routine vaccinations, hepatitis A and typhoid, then discuss your activities, health and any onward islands. Include practical plans for avoiding animal contact and mosquito bites. A resort booking does not remove the need to review the rest of the holiday.
At a glance
- Use Indonesia’s country guidance with a Bali-specific itinerary.
- Include Ubud stays, rural excursions and onward islands.
- Do not touch or feed monkeys or unfamiliar animals.
- Possible rabies exposure needs urgent medical care even after vaccination.
- Malaria advice and other mosquito-borne risks are separate questions.
Which vaccine questions should I bring?
NaTHNaC’s Indonesia guidance includes hepatitis A, tetanus and typhoid advice for most travellers. Other options depend on your circumstances. Bring previous records so completed protection can be recognised.
Describe the trip as you will experience it: where you will sleep, which excursions you may take and whether the stay could be extended. Avoid treating a “Bali package” as a personalised recommendation.
Ask the clinician to identify what is due now and what would be follow-up. If you have a previous record saying only “hepatitis”, ask the original provider for the full details.
Monkeys and dogs: plan to avoid contact
NHS rabies advice recommends avoiding wild or stray animals and not feeding animals, including in sanctuaries. A place being popular with tourists does not make animal contact medically safe.
Before an excursion, explain the rule to children and companions. Do not encourage an animal onto your shoulder or offer food for a photograph. Make sure everyone knows to report even a small scratch.
Discuss pre-travel rabies vaccination according to your activities and access to care. A vaccination decision should sit alongside an avoidance plan, not replace it.
What if I am bitten or scratched?
Obtain urgent medical help locally. NHS guidance advises washing bites or scratches with soap and water and seeking help immediately after possible exposure, even if vaccinated. Animal saliva on a wound, eyes, nose or mouth also needs assessment.
Do not wait until you return to the UK or for a routine pharmacy appointment.
Keep details of treatment given abroad and show them to a healthcare professional for follow-up. Before travelling, save insurer and healthcare contact information somewhere accessible without relying on one person’s phone.
Do I need malaria prevention for Bali?
The NaTHNaC guidance checked for this article describes low malaria risk in Bali, with awareness and bite avoidance advised; preventive medicine may be considered for some higher-risk travellers. Other Indonesian locations have different advice.
Do not turn “tablets are not routinely advised for my itinerary” into “mosquito bites do not matter”. Bite precautions should cover suitable repellent, clothing and sleeping arrangements.
Tell the clinician about pregnancy, immune suppression or other health needs before relying on general advice. The plan should be appropriate for you as well as the location.
Adding another island changes the question
If Bali is only one stop, list every island, overnight location and transfer. Advice for Bali should not be applied automatically to the whole of Indonesia.
Be clear about tentative plans. “We may go elsewhere for a week” is a useful warning that the assessment could need revisiting. Ask which details the clinician needs before the next step.
Include countries visited before Indonesia as well. Certificate requirements concern the route, not simply the country printed on the final hotel booking.
Food, water and a workable healthcare plan
Read NaTHNaC’s food and water guidance and FCDO Indonesia health advice alongside the vaccination plan. Vaccines do not prevent every cause of stomach illness.
Check safe drinking-water arrangements, access to healthcare and insurance cover for the activities you intend to do. Avoid assuming that a travel vaccination appointment settles those questions.
For the consultation, bring your dates, records, medicines and a short list of concerns. Ask for an explanation of the proposed doses and total cost using Puri’s current price list.
Ask Abhi
Abhimanyu Kochhar | Pharmacist
Travel health, vaccination records and your next step
Do I need the same advice for Bali and every other Indonesian island?
No. Provide the full route and have each relevant part assessed.
If a monkey scratch is tiny, can I ignore it?
No. Seek urgent medical assessment after possible exposure. Do not judge the need for care by wound size.
Does rabies vaccination mean I can safely feed monkeys?
No. Avoid contact and feeding regardless of vaccination.
Is there a vaccine against all ‘Bali belly’?
No. That phrase describes a range of stomach illnesses, not a single vaccine-preventable infection. Food, water and hygiene precautions remain important.
Your pre-travel consultation at Puri Pharmacy
Abhimanyu Kochhar leads Puri Pharmacy’s travel service. Bring the Bali itinerary and any island-hopping plans to discuss preparation before travel. A bite or possible rabies exposure needs urgent medical care, not the routine booking route.
Southall Travel Vaccination Clinic is within Puri Pharmacy Southall, 39 Western Road, UB2 5HE. Our Hillingdon branch is at 165 Ryefield Avenue, UB10 9DA.
The consultation payment is £25 per person, paid at booking. It is credited once against vaccinations under your agreed plan, including at a later appointment. If you receive the consultation and do not proceed with vaccination, the £25 pays for the consultation.
Book a pre-travel health consultation
About Abhi
Abhimanyu Kochhar is a GPhC-registered pharmacist and yellow fever vaccination pharmacist. He manages Puri Pharmacy’s Southall branch and leads the travel vaccination service across Southall and Hillingdon, both designated yellow fever vaccination centres.
Sources and further reading
- NaTHNaC: Indonesia
- NHS: Rabies
- NaTHNaC: Insect and tick bite avoidance
- NaTHNaC: Food and water hygiene
- FCDO: Indonesia health advice
Sources checked: 6 October 2026. General information, not an individual treatment plan. Guidance and travel requirements can change; obtain advice for your own health and itinerary.
