Travel health · Argentina
Buenos Aires, the Mendoza vineyards, Patagonia — and one waterfall that changes the whole answer. Argentina is a country where the vaccine you need depends almost entirely on whether Iguazú is on the itinerary.
The short version
Most travellers to Argentina need 4 vaccines, and six weeks is enough time to do it properly.
Leaving sooner? Most of it can still be done — we prioritise what matters for your route. Nobody gets turned away for booking late.
Recommended for essentially everyone going to Argentina.
Argentina is the rare destination where one line of the itinerary decides the vaccine list. CDC recommends yellow fever for every traveller from nine months old going to Corrientes and Misiones Provinces — and Iguazú Falls is in Misiones. For travel limited to the rest of the country, CDC does not recommend it at all. The Government of Canada agrees on the shape of it: there is a risk of yellow fever in Argentina, proof is not required to enter, and vaccination is recommended depending on your itinerary.
Bring the route to the appointment. If Iguazú is on it, the certificate takes ten days to become valid — that is the only true deadline on this page.
Food and water, and both sources agree without qualification: CDC for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and over, the Government of Canada for all travellers to areas where hepatitis A is present. The steak is not the problem; the water and the handling are.
Any time before you fly. One dose covers the trip; a second, six months later, covers decades.
The Government of Canada recommends hepatitis B for all travellers; CDC for unvaccinated travellers younger than 60, adding that those 60 and over may still be vaccinated. Routine cover — tetanus, measles, polio, chickenpox — is the usual ask, and CDC wants every international traveller fully vaccinated against measles.
Tetanus if it has been more than ten years. Hepatitis B runs over months, but faster schedules exist.
CDC recommends it for most travellers to Argentina, especially anyone staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities and rural areas. The Government of Canada does not raise typhoid for Argentina at all. That is a genuine gap between two official sources, and we would rather show it to you than split the difference.
At least two weeks before departure. The oral capsules take a week to finish.
The honest answer to “am I too late?” depends on the date. Put yours in and we’ll work backwards. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Worth a conversation — the answer changes with where you’re going and what you’ll be doing.
The full list for Argentina. Most people need the first two or three; the rest depend on where you are going and for how long.
Spread through contaminated food and water. CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and over going to Argentina; the Government of Canada for all travellers to areas where hepatitis A is present. CDC also notes that unvaccinated travellers over 40, immunocompromised, or with chronic medical conditions who are leaving within two weeks should have the first dose and immune globulin at the same appointment.
Spread through blood and bodily fluids — medical or dental care, tattoos, piercings, unplanned injuries. The Government of Canada recommends it for all travellers; CDC for unvaccinated travellers younger than 60, and says those 60 and over may get vaccinated before travelling.
CDC asks travellers to be up to date on all routine vaccines before every trip — chickenpox, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, flu, MMR, polio and shingles among them — and asks all international travellers to be fully vaccinated against measles, including an early dose for infants aged 6 to 11 months. The Government of Canada opens its health advice for Argentina the same way.
Bacterial infection from contaminated food and water. CDC recommends it for most travellers to Argentina, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas. The Government of Canada does not list typhoid for Argentina. Injection or oral capsules; the capsules take a week to finish. A city-and-wine-region fortnight and three months around the north are different answers.
CDC recommends it for all travellers aged nine months and older going to Corrientes and Misiones Provinces — the provinces that contain Iguazú Falls. It is generally not recommended for Formosa Province or for designated areas of Chaco, Jujuy and Salta Provinces, and not recommended for travel limited to anywhere else in the country. Proof of vaccination is not required to enter Argentina. The Government of Canada states there is a risk of yellow fever in the country and that vaccination is recommended depending on your itinerary, and tells travellers to contact a designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre well in advance. We are one, so the vaccine and the certificate happen here — ten days before it takes effect.
CDC advises all eligible travellers to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. The Government of Canada calls vaccination one of the most important ways to protect yourself from serious complications.
Worth a moment because Argentina is in the other hemisphere. The Government of Canada notes the southern flu season usually runs April to October, and that a flu vaccine from one hemisphere may only offer partial protection against the flu in the other. It advises getting the shot at least two weeks before travelling. For a Canadian flying to Patagonia in our summer, that is their winter.
CDC states that dogs infected with rabies are sometimes found in Argentina, that rabies is also commonly found in some terrestrial wildlife species and bats, and that rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country if an exposure happens. It frames pre-exposure vaccination around activity risk and how easily you could reach safe post-exposure treatment. The Government of Canada lists children, adventure travellers and cave explorers, veterinarians and wildlife workers, and anyone in close contact with animals among those for whom vaccination may be recommended, and notes treatment to prevent rabies is often available in Argentina.
The two sources sit differently on this one. CDC says chikungunya vaccination is generally not recommended for Argentina, while pointing travellers who want to consider it to its own guidance. The Government of Canada says chikungunya is a risk in the country, that the level varies by season, year, region and elevation, that the joint pain can last months or years, and that a vaccine is approved in Canada. Mosquito precautions carry most of this either way.
Honest about the risks, and specific about what prevents each one.
The Government of Canada has an outbreak notice out: a higher than expected number of cases in parts of central and southern Argentina, including areas in and around Buenos Aires and northern Patagonia. It is spread mainly through contact with rodents and their urine, droppings and saliva, and there are no vaccines or medications to prevent it. It can begin as a flu-like illness and progress to coughing and shortness of breath.
Prevention Avoid rodents and any area contaminated with their droppings. Store food and rubbish in containers with tightly fitting lids. Take special precautions when cleaning and disinfecting anywhere contaminated by droppings — that is the Government of Canada’s advice, and a shut-up cabin or shed is where it applies. Mention any rodent contact to a doctor if you become unwell, including after you are home.
CDC opens its Argentina page with a notice that the country is reporting increased cases, and that risk is higher after floods or heavy rainfall. It spreads through contact with water, mud or food contaminated by the urine of infected animals.
Prevention Do not swim or wade in fresh water that could be contaminated, especially after heavy rain. Cover cuts and scratches with waterproof dressings. Wear waterproof boots and clothing near floodwater.
The Government of Canada calls it the most common illness affecting travellers, and says the risk is higher where hygiene and sanitation standards are poor or food handling is careless. Its own summary of the fix is one line long: boil it, cook it, peel it, or leave it.
Prevention Careful choices with food and water, frequent handwashing, and rehydration if it happens. Rehydration salts weigh nothing, and we can send you with a standby antibiotic where that is appropriate.
All three are named as risks by the Government of Canada. It notes dengue mosquitoes typically bite during the daytime, particularly around sunrise and sunset, that severe dengue can be fatal, and that there is no vaccine or medication available in Canada to prevent it. Zika is spread by mosquito and also sexually, and can cause serious birth defects. CDC lists dengue and Zika among Argentina’s diseases too.
Prevention Repellent through the day, not only at night. Long sleeves and permethrin-treated clothing in the subtropical north. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, the Government of Canada suggests discussing this destination with a health care provider before you book — you may choose to postpone.
The Government of Canada tells travellers doing adventure activities to know the symptoms of high-altitude illnesses, notes that many operators do not conduct regular safety checks, and warns that local authorities have limited rescue capabilities, particularly in high-altitude and remote areas. For Mount Aconcagua specifically it says to contact the Mendoza Tourism Agency before climbing and to follow the itineraries the park provides. CDC does not raise altitude illness for Argentina; it mentions high elevation only in relation to stronger sun. The gap is real, and it favours planning.
Prevention Insurance that explicitly covers helicopter rescue and medical evacuation. A registered operator rather than the cheapest. Tell us your ascent plan: altitude medication is prescribable by a pharmacist in Alberta and we will work out whether yours calls for it.
Named by both sources. Spread by triatomine bugs, which the Government of Canada notes are active at night. It says risk is generally low for most travellers, that the infection can stay inactive for decades, and that there is no vaccine.
Prevention A bed net if you are staying in poorly built or rural housing. This is a rural-and-long-stay question rather than a hotel one.
The Government of Canada says good health care is available in Buenos Aires but may be limited elsewhere, that certain medications may not be available, and — the part people are unprepared for — that hospital physicians often expect immediate cash payment for medical care.
Prevention Travel insurance with medical evacuation and hospital coverage, plus genuine access to funds on the day. Bring enough of your own regular medication for the whole trip and some spare, in labelled packaging, in hand luggage.
CDC names motor vehicle crashes the number one killer of healthy travellers abroad. The Government of Canada advises exercising a high degree of caution in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires because of crime including petty crime and muggings, and in Rosario because of homicides linked to drug-related organised crime, while the country overall sits at take normal security precautions.
Prevention Official taxis or public transport, seatbelts, no night driving on unlit rural roads. Keep bags in front of you and off chair backs.
The things that prevent most travel illness are not medical.
CDC recommends yellow fever vaccination for all travellers aged nine months and older going to Corrientes and Misiones Provinces. Iguazú Falls sits in Misiones. For travel limited to provinces outside that list — Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Córdoba, Bariloche, El Calafate, Ushuaia — CDC does not recommend the vaccine. There is a middle category too: CDC says vaccination is generally not recommended for Formosa Province or for designated areas of Chaco, Jujuy and Salta Provinces, which is its way of saying neither yes nor no, and is exactly the sort of line that needs a person rather than a website. Argentina does not require proof of vaccination to enter. If your route does call for it, we are a designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre and issue the certificate here — it becomes valid ten days after the dose. And if you are crossing at the falls, the Government of Canada notes the tri-border area between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay is one to take care in, and to cross before nightfall — so bring the whole itinerary, not just the Argentine half.
This is worth seeing plainly. CDC opens its Argentina page with a notice that the country is reporting increased cases of leptospirosis, with risk higher after floods or heavy rainfall — advising travellers to avoid swimming or wading in water that may be contaminated with animal urine, to cover cuts and scratches with waterproof bandages, and to wear waterproof footwear near floodwater. The Government of Canada does not raise leptospirosis for Argentina. In the other direction, the Government of Canada carries an outbreak notice for hantavirus, reporting a higher than expected number of cases in parts of central and southern Argentina, including areas in and around Buenos Aires and northern Patagonia. CDC lists hantavirus among Argentina’s diseases but has no notice out. Neither source is wrong. They are two agencies watching the same country with different thresholds, and a traveller who reads only one gets half the picture.
The Government of Canada is direct that there are no vaccines or medications to prevent hantavirus. It spreads mainly through contact with rodents — mice and rats — and especially their urine, droppings and saliva, and CDC adds that it can be breathed in from contaminated air or picked up from a bite. Symptoms can start as a flu-like illness with fever, muscle aches, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, and can progress to coughing and shortness of breath. Prevention is unglamorous and effective: avoid contact with rodents and any area contaminated with droppings, store food and rubbish in containers with tightly fitting lids, and take special precautions when cleaning and disinfecting anywhere contaminated by droppings — which is the Government of Canada’s own wording, and worth taking literally before you sweep out a cabin or shed that has been shut up. That last one matters if your Patagonia leg involves a rented cabin, a refugio or a farm stay. If you feel unwell after that kind of contact, tell a doctor about it — during the trip or after you get home.
We are going to be careful here rather than confident. The Government of Canada does not raise malaria for Argentina at all. CDC’s Argentina page carries one generic sentence saying malaria is a risk in some parts of the country and to fill a prescription before you leave — but it names no province, no species, no drug resistance and no recommended medicine anywhere on the page, and there is no malaria row in its vaccines and medicines table. So we are not going to sell you tablets on the strength of a sentence with no map behind it, and we are not going to tell you there is definitely nothing either. Bring your route. If it goes into the far northern border areas we will look at it properly with you; for Buenos Aires, Mendoza, the lake district, Patagonia and Iguazú, this does not come up.
Most people booking a travel consult with us are sorting out a household, not just themselves. A few things are different for children.
Bring the whole household to the same consultation. We review each person’s records separately but plan the trip as one, which usually means fewer visits and no repeated explanations. Tell us how many people when you book so we set aside the time.
CDC’s recommendation for Corrientes and Misiones is for all travellers aged nine months and older, which matters if a baby is coming to Iguazú with you. Below that age it is a different conversation and one to have well before you book, not the week you fly.
CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and over. Infants aged 6 to 11 months can have a travel dose, which does not count towards the routine schedule and is repeated later. CDC asks for an early measles dose in that same age band.
The Government of Canada lists children among those for whom rabies vaccination may be recommended, and CDC notes that dogs infected with rabies are sometimes found in Argentina. Small children approach dogs, are less likely to mention a scratch, and are more often bitten on the face or hands. Worth deciding per child rather than per family.
Any immunisation records you can find, for each traveller. Alberta records we can often look up; out-of-province and overseas records we cannot. A photo of a yellow card is plenty.
It depends on one thing: Iguazú. CDC recommends yellow fever vaccination for all travellers aged nine months and older going to Corrientes and Misiones Provinces, and Iguazú Falls is in Misiones. For travel limited to Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Córdoba, Bariloche, El Calafate or Ushuaia, CDC does not recommend it. Argentina does not require proof to enter. If your route does call for it, we are a designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre and issue the certificate here — it becomes valid ten days after the dose.
It is CDC’s middle answer, and Argentina has one: vaccination is generally not recommended for Formosa Province or for designated areas of Chaco, Jujuy and Salta Provinces. It is not a yes and it is not a no — it means the risk is low enough that most travellers do not need it, but the decision belongs to a person who has seen your itinerary, your age and your health history. If your trip goes into those areas, bring the route and we will work through it rather than guess.
Almost certainly not, but we will be honest about why we cannot say it flatly. The Government of Canada does not raise malaria for Argentina at all. CDC’s Argentina page carries a single generic line saying malaria is a risk in some parts of the country, but names no province, no species and no recommended medicine anywhere on the page. For Buenos Aires, Mendoza, the lakes, Patagonia and Iguazú, this simply does not come up. Bring your route and we will check it rather than sell you tablets on a sentence with no map behind it.
It is a rodent-borne infection with no vaccine and no preventive medication, and the Government of Canada currently has an outbreak notice out for Argentina — a higher than expected number of cases in parts of central and southern Argentina, including areas in and around Buenos Aires and northern Patagonia. Worry is not the useful response; a habit is. Avoid rodents and droppings, keep food and rubbish in tightly lidded containers, and take the special precautions the Government of Canada asks for when cleaning and disinfecting anywhere contaminated by droppings — which is exactly what sweeping out a shut-up cabin is. If you become unwell after that kind of contact — during the trip or after you get home — say so to the doctor.
You have, and both answers are on this page. CDC recommends typhoid for most travellers to Argentina, especially anyone staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities and rural areas. The Government of Canada does not mention typhoid for Argentina at all. We show you the disagreement rather than average it: a fortnight of Buenos Aires and Mendoza, and two months around the northern provinces, are genuinely different answers.
It can be, and only one source raises it. The Government of Canada tells adventure travellers to know the symptoms of high-altitude illnesses and warns that rescue capability is limited in high-altitude and remote areas; for Mount Aconcagua it says to contact the Mendoza Tourism Agency before climbing and follow the park’s itineraries. CDC does not raise altitude illness for Argentina at all — it mentions high elevation only in relation to stronger sun. If you are trekking in the Andes or going high in the northwest, bring the ascent plan — altitude medication is prescribable by a pharmacist in Alberta and we will work out whether yours needs it.
No. Hepatitis A can be given right up to departure and a tetanus booster the same day you come in. If Iguazú is on the itinerary the yellow fever certificate needs ten days to become valid, so two weeks still works — but only if we start now rather than next week. Come in with the dates.
Nothing. The travel consultation is free — a full itinerary review, every recommended vaccine discussed, and advice for your particular trip. You pay only for the vaccines actually given.
Designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre
We are licensed to give yellow fever vaccine and issue the international certificate, here in Sunpark Plaza — you do not need to find another clinic for it. The certificate becomes valid ten days after the dose, so this is the one to book first. Whether your itinerary actually needs it is the conversation we have at the appointment.
Bring your travel dates. A pharmacist will go through what you need for Argentina, give what can be given that day, and book anything that needs a second dose. No doctor referral, no wait list.
Written from current CDC and Government of Canada guidance, checked 31 July 2026. Advice for your particular trip comes from our pharmacist, in person.
Imagine Health Pharmacy & Travel Clinic — #4120, 15 Sunpark Plaza SE, Calgary, Alberta. In Sunpark Plaza, off Macleod Trail, serving Sundance, Midnapore, Shawnessy, Chaparral and the rest of south Calgary.
No doctor’s referral is needed. In Alberta a pharmacist can assess you, prescribe what your trip needs and give the vaccines in the same visit — so for most travellers this is one appointment, not a clinic queue and then a pharmacy.
The vaccine guidance on this page follows the official recommendations below, read and applied by a pharmacist. Where the two differ we say so rather than pick one.
Checked against both sources on 31 July 2026. Official advice changes — if your trip is months away, check again or ask us.
