Travel Vaccinations
Travel Vaccines for Vietnam: Cities, Rural Trips and Backpacking
TRAVEL VACCINATIONS · 5 minute read
Medically reviewed 28 October 2026
Stay informed
Get our latest weight-loss and health guides straight to your inbox.
By Abhimanyu Kochhar (Abhi)
GPhC-registered pharmacist · Travel Vaccination Service Manager · Southall Branch Manager
For Vietnam, review routine protection, hepatitis A and typhoid, then discuss any further recommendations against your health and itinerary. City stays, rural overnight trips and a flexible backpacking route should not be treated as identical holidays.
At a glance
- Check previous doses before arranging new vaccinations.
- List overnight stays and excursions outside the main cities.
- Discuss rural exposure, outdoor activities and access to treatment.
- Malaria advice varies by location and individual risk.
- Ask what to recheck if an open-ended itinerary changes.
Start with the country advice and your records
NaTHNaC’s Vietnam page includes hepatitis A, tetanus and typhoid advice for most travellers. Other vaccines are assessed against the individual journey and health history.
Take records from earlier trips, even if they involved a different destination. Ask which courses are complete and whether any later dose remains outstanding.
A written list of proposed vaccinations should make sense to you. Ask the clinician to explain the reason for each recommendation rather than accepting a list labelled simply “Vietnam vaccines”.
Separate city time from rural overnight stays
For an illustrative itinerary, distinguish nights in Hanoi, a cruise, a rural homestay and an onward flight. Include time spent travelling between them and any excursions that are not yet booked.
Where possible, name the location rather than writing “countryside”. A booking confirmation or tour itinerary can help. If you only know the region, explain what remains uncertain.
Ask the organiser about sleeping arrangements and access to healthcare. These details make the assessment more useful than the total number of holiday days alone.
When should I ask about Japanese encephalitis or rabies?
NHS Japanese encephalitis advice highlights longer visits and rural exposure, including rice-growing areas and wetlands. Tell the clinician about those settings rather than assuming an organised excursion has no health implications.
Discuss animal exposure and how quickly you could obtain medical help. The NHS rabies guidance explains why a possible bite or scratch needs prompt assessment, including for vaccinated travellers.
Do not use a friend’s recommendation as a decision for you. Similar holidays can involve different records, medical needs and activities.
Do I need malaria tablets for Vietnam?
NaTHNaC currently describes low malaria risk in specified southern provinces and other rural areas, with no risk in locations including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc. Advice for higher-risk individuals may differ.
Ask the clinician to assess the actual route rather than selecting medicine based on “Vietnam” alone. If preventive medicine is appropriate, get clear instructions for the product supplied.
Mosquito-bite precautions remain useful regardless of the malaria decision. Build them into outdoor activities and sleeping arrangements; malaria is not the only reason to avoid bites.
If you are backpacking, plan for uncertainty
You do not have to invent a fixed itinerary to get advice. Explain the possible countries, activities and how long you may remain away. Ask which decisions can be made now and which depend on the route becoming clearer.
Write down the circumstances that would trigger a further check: a longer stay, a new country, remote travel or a change in health. Keep contact and vaccine records accessible while abroad.
Do not assume you can complete any vaccine course at the next destination. Agree follow-up arrangements before relying on them.
Bring a complete picture to the consultation
Bring the route, dates, previous records, medicines and health details. Mention any planned medical or dental care abroad. For children, provide ages before booking so the branch can confirm suitable services.
Read FCDO Vietnam health advice alongside the country vaccination guidance when checking healthcare and insurance arrangements.
Use Puri’s current price list as a starting point, then ask for the total for your agreed plan, including later appointments.
Ask Abhi
Abhimanyu Kochhar | Pharmacist
Travel health, vaccination records and your next step
Is a short city break the same as a rural trip?
No. Describe the whole itinerary, especially overnight stays and excursions, so advice can reflect the actual exposure.
Should I take malaria tablets just in case?
Have the route and your health assessed. Medication should follow an appropriate recommendation, not uncertainty about a country name.
Can I wait until my backpacking route is fixed?
Start the discussion early and identify the uncertain parts. Ask what needs checking again when those decisions are made.
What if I had vaccines for Thailand last year?
Bring the record. Some previous protection may remain relevant, but it does not establish that the complete Vietnam plan is covered.
Your pre-travel consultation at Puri Pharmacy
At Puri Pharmacy, Abhimanyu Kochhar leads the travel vaccination service. Bring the route you know and explain the parts still undecided so the appointment can establish a practical plan and follow-up questions.
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: Vietnam
- NHS: Japanese encephalitis
- NHS: Rabies
- NaTHNaC: Insect and tick bite avoidance
- FCDO: Vietnam 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.
