Travel health · Chile
The Atacama, the lake district, Patagonia — thousands of kilometres of country from top to bottom. The vaccine list is short and it does not change wherever you go in it. Everything else about the plan is a question of distance.
The short version
Most travellers to Chile need 4 vaccines, and four to 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 Chile.
Not a vaccine, and first on the list because it is the thing most likely to matter. The Government of Canada says health care in Chile is good, especially at private facilities, and widely available in Santiago and other major cities — but can be very limited in remote areas. It adds that treatment at private clinics and hospitals is expensive and that most doctors and smaller hospitals typically require advance payment. For adventure activities it says specifically to buy insurance that includes helicopter rescue and medical evacuation. Torres del Paine, the Carretera Austral and the Atacama are all a long way from all of that.
Before you book the trip, not after. Save the policy number offline and carry real access to funds.
Food and water, and the one thing both sources agree on without qualification: CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and over going to Chile, and the Government of Canada for all travellers to areas where hepatitis A is present.
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, and says 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, which for most adults it has. Hepatitis B runs over months, but faster schedules exist.
CDC recommends typhoid for most travellers to Chile, especially anyone staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities and rural areas. The Government of Canada does not mention typhoid for Chile at all. Two official sources, two different answers, and we would rather show you the gap than average it away.
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 Chile. 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 Chile; 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 — unplanned medical or dental care, tattoos, piercings, injuries. The Government of Canada recommends it for all travellers; CDC for unvaccinated travellers younger than 60, adding that 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 Chile health advice the same way. Tetanus is the one that lapses quietly, and a week of hiking is exactly where a cut happens.
Bacterial infection from contaminated food and water. CDC recommends it for most travellers to Chile, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas. The Government of Canada does not list typhoid for Chile. Injection or oral capsules; the capsules take a week to finish. A week of Santiago restaurants and two months of small towns and camp kitchens are different answers.
Both sources say no. The Government of Canada states there is no risk of yellow fever in Chile, that proof of vaccination is not required to enter, and that vaccination is not recommended. CDC says the same: not recommended, not required. The only reason to think about it at all is if Chile is one leg of a longer South American trip — Brazil, Bolivia or the Argentine north can change the answer, so bring the whole itinerary rather than the Chilean part of it.
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.
Chile is in the other hemisphere, which matters. 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 the shot at least two weeks before travelling. Patagonia in shoulder season is their flu season.
Chile’s rabies picture is narrower than most of South America, and both sources say so. CDC states that dogs infected with rabies are not commonly found in Chile, that rabies is present in bats, and that rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country if an exposure happens. The Government of Canada says rabies may be present in some wildlife including bats, and that vaccination may be recommended if you will be working directly with wildlife. Whatever you decide beforehand, the Government of Canada’s instruction if you are bitten or scratched is the same everywhere: wash the wound with soap and clean water for about fifteen minutes and get medical care as soon as possible.
One source only. The Government of Canada says chikungunya is a risk in Chile, that the level varies by season, year, region and elevation, that the joint pain can be severe and last months or years, and that a vaccine is approved in Canada. CDC’s Chile page does not list chikungunya at all. Given that gap, this is a decision to make with a pharmacist against your actual itinerary rather than from a page.
Honest about the risks, and specific about what prevents each one.
The Government of Canada says health care in Chile is good, especially at private facilities, and widely available in Santiago and other major cities, but can be very limited in remote areas. Treatment at private clinics and hospitals is expensive, and most doctors and smaller hospitals typically require advance payment. It asks travellers with a pre-existing condition to carry an up-to-date medical report from a Canadian physician.
Prevention Insurance covering medical evacuation and hospital stays, and for adventure activities, helicopter rescue. Real access to funds on the day. A medical report letter and a written medication list — we can print both. Bring enough of your own medication for the trip plus spare, in labelled packaging, in hand luggage.
The Government of Canada tells travellers doing outdoor activities in Chile to know the symptoms of acute altitude sickness, dehydration and heatstroke, and says plainly that these can be fatal. It adds that trails are not always marked, that weather can change rapidly regardless of season, and that you should carry enough water. CDC does not raise altitude illness for Chile, but does warn about heat illness and notes that UV exposure is higher at high elevation and where light reflects off snow, sand and water — which describes the Atacama and the southern icefields exactly.
Prevention Pace the first days if you are going high, and drink more than feels necessary. Sun protection as a daily habit, not a beach one. Tell us your ascent plan — altitude medication is prescribable by a pharmacist in Alberta and we will work out whether yours calls for it.
The Government of Canada names both as risks in Chile: dengue mosquitoes typically bite in the daytime, particularly around sunrise and sunset, severe dengue can be fatal, and there is no vaccine or medication available in Canada to prevent it. CDC’s Chile page lists neither disease. We are reporting the disagreement rather than picking a winner.
Prevention Repellent with DEET or picaridin, applied through the day rather than only at dusk. Long sleeves and permethrin-treated clothing where you are outdoors for long stretches.
Listed by CDC among Chile’s diseases, and it is on the non-vaccine-preventable side of that list — there is nothing to give you for it. CDC says it spreads by breathing in air or accidentally eating food contaminated with the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents, less commonly through a bite from one, and — for the Andes virus specifically — occasionally from another person who is sick with it. That first route is why a shut-up cabin, refugio or shed is the moment worth thinking about rather than the countryside in general.
Prevention CDC’s advice is short: avoid rodents and the areas where they live. Keep food and rubbish sealed, and treat cleaning out a closed-up building as the part that carries the risk, not the boring part. Mention any rodent contact to a doctor if you become unwell, including after you get home.
The Government of Canada’s rule for Chile is four words: boil it, cook it, peel it, or leave it. It also advises not to get fresh water in your eyes, mouth or nose when swimming in streams, lakes or canals — especially after heavy rain or flooding — and not to swallow water when showering or in pools and hot tubs. CDC lists leptospirosis, which is spread exactly that way, among Chile’s diseases; the Government of Canada does not name it.
Prevention Safe food and water choices, frequent handwashing, and rehydration salts in the bag. Cover cuts and scratches with waterproof dressings before you go near fresh water.
The Government of Canada describes Chile as a very active seismic zone where earthquakes and tsunamis can occur anywhere in the country, warns a tsunami can occur within minutes of a nearby earthquake with risk persisting for several hours, and counts 500 active volcanoes — naming Villarrica, Osorno, Llaima, Calbuco and Grupo Descabezados among those closely monitored. Ash clouds can disrupt flights.
Prevention On the coast, find the tsunami evacuation route on day one. Near a monitored volcano, follow local alerts and be ready to move plans at short notice. Keep a few days of essential medication with you rather than in a checked bag.
Unexpected and worth stating plainly: the Government of Canada says marked minefields pose a risk in remote areas bordering Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. It also requires you to register with Chile’s national border authority, DIFROL, for outdoor activities along those borders.
Prevention Stay on main roads and paved surfaces. Keep out of fields, roadside ditches, shoulders and unmarked trails. Cross only at official crossings and heed the signs.
CDC names motor vehicle crashes the number one killer of healthy travellers abroad. The Government of Canada describes urban road conditions as generally very good but secondary and mountain roads as dangerous — insufficient lighting, no guardrails, poor maintenance, winter weather, strong side winds, unpaved surfaces. It also notes tourists on intercity buses, particularly on the Calama routes towards Antofagasta, San Pedro de Atacama and Santiago, have been robbed while sleeping, and that the country overall sits at exercise a high degree of caution because of ongoing demonstrations, civil unrest and crime.
Prevention No night driving on secondary or mountain roads. Valuables on you rather than in the overhead rack on a night bus. Avoid demonstrations rather than watch them.
The things that prevent most travel illness are not medical.
This is unusual for South America and it is the most useful thing to know about planning a Chilean trip. There is no yellow fever question: the Government of Canada states there is no risk of yellow fever in Chile, that vaccination is not recommended, and that proof is not required to enter, and CDC says the same — not recommended, not required. Neither source raises malaria anywhere on its Chile page. So the answer for Santiago is the same as the answer for San Pedro de Atacama and the same as the answer for Punta Arenas: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, routine vaccines up to date, and a real conversation about typhoid. That is genuinely it, on the vaccine side. Which means the appointment is free to be about the things that actually differ from one end of the country to the other — where you will be, how far from help, and what you are carrying.
There are four gaps and they run in both directions, so neither source is simply more cautious than the other. The Government of Canada says dengue is a risk to travellers in Chile and that chikungunya is a risk whose level varies by season, year, region and elevation — while CDC’s Chile page lists neither disease at all. Running the other way, CDC lists leptospirosis among Chile’s diseases and the Government of Canada does not mention it. CDC recommends typhoid vaccination for most travellers; the Government of Canada is silent on typhoid for Chile. And the Government of Canada reports that human cases of avian influenza have been reported in Chile while saying the risk is low for most travellers; CDC’s Chile page does not raise it. We are not going to reconcile these for you on a web page. We will tell you which way each one cuts for your particular trip, in person.
The Government of Canada’s Chile advice reads like a map of how far you are from help. Health care is good, especially private, and widely available in Santiago and the major cities — but can be very limited in remote areas, and treatment at private clinics and hospitals is expensive, with most doctors and smaller hospitals typically requiring payment in advance. Trails are not always marked and weather can change rapidly regardless of season. Safety features on vehicles and on the small boats used for river and lake excursions are not always reliable. Many of the things Canadians fly to Chile to do happen exactly where that advice bites. Its own list of what to do is worth following literally: use a registered tour or expedition company, share your itinerary with someone, stay on marked trails, carry enough water, watch the weather, and know the symptoms of acute altitude sickness, dehydration and heatstroke — which it says can be fatal. For outdoor activities along the borders with Argentina, Bolivia or Peru you must also register with Chile’s national border authority, DIFROL. And a detail people do not expect: it warns that marked minefields remain a risk in remote areas along those same three borders, so stay on main roads and paved surfaces and out of fields, ditches and unmarked trails.
Two Chile-specific things that no vaccine touches. The Government of Canada describes Chile as being in a very active seismic zone where earthquakes and tsunamis can occur anywhere in the country, and warns that a tsunami can arrive within minutes of a nearby quake with the risk continuing for several hours afterwards — so if you are staying on the coast, learn the evacuation route on the first day rather than the worst day. It also counts 500 active volcanoes and names Villarrica, Osorno, Llaima, Calbuco and Grupo Descabezados among those authorities monitor closely, noting ash clouds can disrupt flights. Separately, it notes that Santiago restricts driving in the centre of the city from May to September to combat high levels of winter pollution. If you have asthma or another chronic lung condition and you are in Santiago in the southern winter, that is worth planning around: bring your reliever, bring more of it than usual, and keep it with you rather than at the hotel.
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 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.
Children get altitude sickness, dehydration and heatstroke too, and are less able to describe what they are feeling — a quiet, off-colour child at a high-desert lookout deserves attention rather than a nap. The Government of Canada lists all three among the things to know the symptoms of, and says they can be fatal. Plan the same slow first days for them, and carry water for them, not just for you.
The Government of Canada asks travellers to watch children closely around animals, because they are more likely to try to touch them. In a rented cabin or refugio, the same applies to rodent droppings and to any space that has been shut up — hantavirus is on CDC’s list for Chile, there is no vaccine for it, and CDC says it can be breathed in from contaminated air. Keep small hands out of it, and do the clearing-out yourself.
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.
A short list, and it is the same whether you are going to Santiago, the Atacama or Patagonia: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and your routine vaccines brought up to date, with typhoid worth a proper discussion. That is the honest answer. The planning that matters for Chile is not which needles — it is how far you will be from a hospital and what you are carrying when you get there.
No. The Government of Canada states there is no risk of yellow fever in Chile, that vaccination is not recommended, and that proof is not required to enter. CDC says the same. The only thing that changes that is a longer trip: if Chile is one leg and you are also going to Brazil, Bolivia or northern Argentina, bring the whole itinerary and we will check where it applies.
No. Neither CDC nor the Government of Canada raises malaria for Chile anywhere on its page — no risk area, no species, no recommended medicine. If someone offers to sell you tablets for a Chile-only trip, ask them which source they are working from.
The two official sources genuinely disagree, and this is the clearest example on the page. The Government of Canada says dengue is a risk to travellers in Chile, that the mosquitoes bite in the daytime particularly around sunrise and sunset, and that there is no vaccine or medication available in Canada to prevent it. CDC’s Chile page does not list dengue at all. We are not going to average that into a number. What we will do is look at where and when you are going and tell you how much weight we would put on repellent for that particular trip.
It depends who you ask, which is why it is on this page rather than settled by it. CDC recommends typhoid for most travellers to Chile, especially anyone staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities and rural areas. The Government of Canada does not mention typhoid for Chile at all. A week of city restaurants and two months of small towns and camp kitchens are different situations, and the appointment is where we work out which one yours is.
Treat it as real. The Government of Canada tells travellers doing outdoor activities in Chile to know the symptoms of acute altitude sickness, dehydration and heatstroke, and says these can be fatal. Pace the first day or two rather than going straight up to the geysers, drink well past the point it feels necessary, and take the sun seriously — CDC notes UV exposure is higher at high elevation and where light reflects off snow, sand and water. Altitude medication is prescribable by a pharmacist in Alberta; bring your itinerary and we will work out whether your ascent calls for it.
This is the part of a Chilean trip worth thinking about before you go. The Government of Canada says care is good in Santiago and the major cities but can be very limited in remote areas, that private treatment is expensive, and that most doctors and smaller hospitals typically require advance payment. For adventure activities it says to buy insurance that includes helicopter rescue and medical evacuation. So: the right policy, the number saved offline, real access to funds, and enough of your own medication that a delay is an inconvenience rather than a problem. Bring your prescription list to the appointment and we will sort the supply side of that with you.
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.
Bring your travel dates. A pharmacist will go through what you need for Chile, 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.
