Vaccines Required for Travel to Indonesia

This article explains what vaccines you need for Indonesia and how travelers can protect themselves from disease. By getting the relevant jabs, tourists can enjoy an illness-free stay.

Together with applying for an Indonesian visa, getting the vaccines required for Indonesia is an essential first step when planning a trip.

Recommended Travel Vaccinations for Indonesia

While there are not explicitly any vaccines required for travel to Indonesia, all foreign citizens are strongly advised to be up-to-date with the following routine vaccinations before their trip:

• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
• Flu (influenza)
• Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
• Polio

Additionally, travelers aged one year or older who are unvaccinated for Hepatitis A, as well as infants from 6 to 11 months, should receive the vaccine before traveling to Indonesia.

Those planning to stay with friends and relatives in Indonesia or visit smaller cities or rural areas are also advised to receive a typhoid vaccination before traveling.

Optional Vaccines for Travel to Indonesia

Entry restrictions for Indonesia also outline a number of other recommended vaccines for Indonesia based on where the traveler will be visiting in the country and the activities they plan to undertake.

Some of these optional vaccines for travel to Indonesia include:

• Hepatitis B- recommended for all travelers who have not been vaccinated, regardless of age
• Japanese Encephalitis- vaccines for Indonesia against encephalitis are recommended for those planning to spend a period of one month or more in an area affected by the disease, or to undertake activities that increase the risk of infection, including hiking or camping. However, encephalitis vaccines are not needed for Bali or other major population centers in Indonesia.
• Rabies- recommended for visitors who may come into contact with dogs or wild animals, such as adventure travelers, veterinarians, or those staying in rural areas, including children.
• Yellow Fever- Required for all travelers over 9 months of age arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever infection, as it is necessary for these visitors to present a certificate of yellow fever vaccination when entering Indonesia’s borders.

Most Common Health Hazards in Indonesia

As stated above, there is a risk of rabies infection in Indonesia if the traveler is bitten by an animal such as a dog or a bat. While this may seem unlikely, there are many stray dogs in Indonesia, and the visitor is advised to seek medical treatment immediately if a bite does occur.

In such a case, it will be necessary to get a course of Anti-rabies Indonesia vaccines in Bali at Sanglah hospital, the only facility in the country equipped to administer these vaccinations.

Be prepared for high temperatures in Indonesia

With its high temperatures that often reach over 30°C, heatstroke can also be a serious health hazard in Indonesia.

Therefore, all visitors who are not used to such temperatures are advised to apply sunscreen regularly and wear a hat to protect against the hot sun, especially during the afternoon hours, the hottest of the day.

Food and drink safety for travelers in Indonesia

It is also important to monitor what you are drinking and eating in Indonesia to avoid getting sick while in the country. Foreign visitors are advised to avoid drinking tap water in Indonesia to avoid water-borne diseases and to stick to bottled water.

Travelers should also avoid eating any foods that may have been washed in tap water, such as salads, and to stick to eating fruit and vegetables with skin such as oranges and bananas.

How to avoid insect bites in Indonesia

Finally, it is important to take any necessary steps to avoid bug bites in Indonesia, such as:

• Applying an effective insect repellent, such as Deet, Picaridin, or the oil of lemon eucalyptus
• Using long-sleeved shirts and pants to cover any potentially exposed skin
• Using clothing and gear treated with permethrin, an effective insecticide
• Sleeping in rooms equipped with insect screens, or, alternatively, a bed net if sleeping in an area exposed to the outdoors.

Following these measures can help travelers avoid insect-borne diseases for which there is no vaccine, including dengue fever and zika.

Is There Malaria in Indonesia?

While most urban areas in the country are free of the disease, including Jakarta Municipality, the World Health Organization (WHO) currently identifies 5 regions in which malaria is present in Indonesia:

• East Nusa Tenggara
• Maluku
• North Maluku
• Papua
• West Papua

Travelers to these eastern regions can start taking antimalarial prescription medication, such as prophylaxis, in advance of the trip, as well as during and after their stay. The traveler’s healthcare professional will be able to advise which medication is best.

Healthcare in Indonesia and Where to Get Medical Help

All foreign citizens are strongly advised to get any necessary vaccines before traveling to the country as, because Indonesia is a developing country, many healthcare facilities may not have the appropriate vaccinations available.

If a foreign citizen does need to be vaccinated while in Indonesia, such as for rabies, they should arrange this as soon as possible to account for delays in treatment, e.g. if the nearest hospital has run out of the vaccine or does not stock it.

While modern hospitals can be found in main tourist destinations such as Bali or Jakarta, rural healthcare facilities in Indonesia can be basic. Therefore, travelers who sustain serious injuries or infections may need to be medically evacuated to a neighboring country, such as Singapore or Thailand.

Take out travel insurance before going to Indonesia

All foreign citizens are strongly advised to have up-to-date travel insurance before visiting Indonesia, which includes medical evacuation in the case of emergency.

Medical insurance is also important because those who are not fully covered for treatment in hospitals in Jakarta or Bali may face expensive medical bills that will have to be paid before the traveler may leave the country.

Do I Need a COVID-19 Vaccine to Travel to Indonesia?

Indonesia’s international borders are closed to most foreigners during the coronavirus pandemic. Anyone who is exempt from the entry ban must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel to Indonesia.

From July 6, 2021, the Indonesian government has required that all international travelers present proof of full vaccination. They must have had all the required doses of one of the following vaccines:

• Pfizer-BioNTech
• Moderna
• AstraZeneca
• Sinovac
• Sinopharm
• Johnson and Johnson

To travel to Indonesia with a COVID-19 vaccine, passengers also need to take a PCR COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours before departure and present a negative result. The Indonesia Travel Health Alert Certificate must be completed online.

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