Travel health ยท Morocco
Marrakech, the Sahara and the High Atlas. The vaccine list is genuinely short โ no malaria, no yellow fever โ which leaves one decision that actually matters, and it is about animals.
The short version
Most travellers to Morocco need 4 vaccines, and four weeks is enough time to do it properly.
Leaving sooner? Most of it can still be done โ we prioritise what matters for your route. Nobody gets turned away for booking late.
Recommended for essentially everyone going to Morocco.
Not a vaccine, and first on the list anyway. CDC states plainly that dogs infected with rabies are commonly found in Morocco, and the Government of Canada says rabies is present and carried by dogs and some wildlife including bats, and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. It also notes rabies can be spread through scratches, not only bites. The good news is in the same CDC paragraph: if an exposure happens, rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country. So this is a plan, not a panic โ and it is worth having before you are standing in a medina wondering.
Ten minutes of the appointment. We will go through the washing, the reporting and where you would go, for your particular route.
Food and water, and both sources agree without qualification: CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and over going to Morocco, the Government of Canada for all travellers to areas where hepatitis A is present. Street food, a riad breakfast and a hotel buffet are the same question to this virus.
Any time before you fly. One dose covers the trip; a second, six months later, covers decades.
This is where the two sources part company. CDC recommends it for most travellers to Morocco, especially anyone staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas. The Government of Canada says there is a risk of typhoid fever in Morocco but that the risk is low for most travellers, and that a vaccine is available and may be recommended for some. 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 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 โ tetanus, measles-mumps-rubella, polio, chickenpox, meningococcal โ is the usual ask, and CDC wants every international traveller fully vaccinated against measles. The Government of Canada currently carries a measles travel health notice.
Tetanus if it has been more than ten years. Hepatitis B runs over months, but faster schedules exist.
The honest answer to โam I too late?โ depends on the date. Put yours in and weโll work backwards. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Worth a conversation โ the answer changes with where youโre going and what youโll be doing.
The full list for Morocco. 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, and through close physical contact with an infectious person. CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and over going to Morocco; the Government of Canada for all travellers to areas where hepatitis A is present. One of the few points where the two need no reconciling. For travellers who cannot have the vaccine, CDC notes immune globulin as an alternative giving protection for up to two months.
Spread through blood and body fluids โ medical or dental care, tattoos, piercings, acupuncture, sexual contact, unplanned injuries. The Government of Canada recommends it for all travellers and notes hepatitis B is a risk in every destination. CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers younger than 60 going to Morocco, and says unvaccinated travellers 60 and over may get vaccinated. So the sources differ on where the line sits rather than on whether it matters; if you are over 60 and unvaccinated, both leave the door open.
A bacterial infection from contaminated food and water, with fever, cough, diarrhoea, tiredness, headache and loss of appetite. CDC recommends it for most travellers to Morocco, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas. The Government of Canada says the risk exists but is low for most travellers, and that a vaccine is available and may be recommended for some. For a hotel-based week in Marrakech our pharmacist often lands nearer the Canadian wording; for a month in the countryside, or a visit staying with family, nearer CDC. Injection or oral capsules; the capsules take a week to finish.
Both sources open with the same instruction: be up to date before you travel. The Government of Canada lists measles-mumps-rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, chickenpox, meningococcal disease and seasonal flu among routine vaccines, and CDC asks all international travellers to be fully vaccinated against measles with the MMR vaccine. There is a current measles travel health notice for this destination. Tetanus is the one that lapses quietly, and a scrape on a trek or a scooter graze is exactly how it comes up.
The one to think hardest about. CDC states dogs infected with rabies are commonly found in Morocco, and weighs pre-exposure vaccination on your activities around potentially rabid animals and on whether you could get prompt access to safe post-exposure treatment. The Government of Canada lists higher-risk groups: veterinarians and wildlife workers, children, adventure travellers and cave explorers, and anyone in close contact with animals. Reassuringly, CDC also says that if an exposure happens, rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country โ so for a city trip the pre-travel course is often not the answer, while for a long or remote itinerary, or for a family with small children, it can be.
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 developing serious complications.
The Government of Canada asks travellers to get the flu shot every year, and at least two weeks before travelling. In the northern hemisphere the season usually runs November to April, which covers a good share of Calgaryโs Morocco travel.
Not needed here, and we would rather say so than leave it ambiguous. CDC states the vaccine is not recommended and not required for Morocco, and the Government of Canada says there is no risk present and that proof of vaccination is not required to enter. The only reason it appears on this page at all is routing: if Morocco is one leg of a longer trip through a country where yellow fever occurs, other countries on your route may have their own entry rules, so bring the whole itinerary and we will check it.
Honest about the risks, and specific about what prevents each one.
CDC states dogs infected with rabies are commonly found in Morocco and that animal bites and scratches can lead to serious diseases such as rabies. The Government of Canada says rabies is carried by dogs and some wildlife including bats, that it spreads mainly through bites but also through scratches, and that it is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. Its list of animals to avoid is broader than most people expect: stray dogs, livestock, monkeys, snakes, rodents, birds and bats.
Prevention Do not feed, pet or photograph strays at close range, and keep children within armโs reach of you rather than of the animals. If skin is broken: wash long and hard with soap and running water, then seek medical care immediately, however minor it looks. CDC notes rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of Morocco โ knowing where "most" runs out on your route is part of the plan.
The Government of Canada calls it the most common illness affecting travellers, with higher risk where hygiene and sanitation standards are poor or food handling is unsafe, and notes young children, older travellers and people with existing health problems are more at risk.
Prevention Its own rule is the shortest one worth memorising: boil it, cook it, peel it, or leave it. Bottled or treated water, ice only where you trust the kitchen, food cooked fresh and served hot. Rehydration salts weigh nothing, and we can send you with a standby antibiotic where that is appropriate.
CDC warns that heat-related illness such as heat stroke can be deadly, and asks travellers to protect themselves from ultraviolet radiation โ sunscreen of at least SPF 15, protective clothing, and shade between 10am and 4pm, with extra care during summer months and at high elevation.
Prevention Eat and drink regularly, loose lightweight clothing, and limit physical activity when it is hottest. Plan desert and medina walking for early and late in the day, and treat a mid-afternoon Sahara excursion in July as a decision rather than a default.
The same CDC outdoor guidance that names heat also warns that very cold temperatures can be dangerous, and asks travellers to stay alert to changing weather and adjust plans if conditions become unsafe. In Morocco this is the High Atlas rather than the cities, and it surprises people who packed for Marrakech.
Prevention Dress in layers and cover head, hands and feet properly. Check conditions before a trekking day and be willing to turn a route around. Neither source raises altitude illness for Morocco โ if you are going high, bring the itinerary and we will talk it through in person.
CDC states that schistosomiasis, a parasitic infection spread in fresh water, is found in Morocco, and says to avoid swimming in fresh, unchlorinated water such as lakes, ponds or rivers. The Government of Canada does not name schistosomiasis for Morocco at all; it gives the general advice to avoid getting water in your eyes, mouth or nose when swimming in freshwater, especially after heavy rain or flooding. We show you both rather than pick one.
Prevention Stay out of still and slow fresh water โ irrigation channels, ponds, river pools below the waterfalls. Chlorinated pools and the sea are a different question. Do not swallow water when showering, bathing or in hot tubs.
The Government of Canada says both the cutaneous or mucocutaneous form and the visceral form can occur in Morocco, though the risk is low for most travellers. It is spread by the bite of an infected sandfly, symptoms can appear weeks or months later, and sandflies are most active between sunset and sunrise in rural, forested and some urban areas. CDC also names leishmaniasis and answers it with "avoid bug bites".
Prevention CDC asks for a repellent containing 20% or more DEET, and long sleeves, long trousers and a hat to cover exposed skin. Sunset to sunrise is the window that matters here, which is exactly when people sit outside.
The Government of Canada notes that not all drivers respect traffic regulations, that pedestrians, scooters and animals on roadways pose risks, that accidents causing fatalities are common, and that you should avoid driving at night. CDC names motor vehicle crashes the number one killer of healthy travellers abroad.
Prevention No night driving, especially on rural and mountain roads. Reputable drivers and operators for long transfers rather than the cheapest option, and a four-wheel drive with proper supplies if you are going off-road in the mountains or desert.
The Government of Canada says the quality of medical care varies greatly across Morocco, that Casablanca, Marrakesh and Rabat have good private facilities for non-emergencies, that care in public facilities is not up to Canadian standards, and that doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment. It also notes tuberculosis risk is low for most travellers but higher for some โ people visiting or working in prisons, refugee camps, homeless shelters or hospitals, and travellers visiting friends and relatives.
Prevention Travel insurance that covers medical evacuation and hospital stays, with the policy number saved offline. Carry enough cash to start treatment, keep a list of local doctors and hospitals, and pack a travel health kit โ the Government of Canada asks for one especially if you are heading away from major city centres.
The things that prevent most travel illness are not medical.
Morocco is one of the few popular destinations where the honest answer to "what do I need?" is short. CDC publishes no malaria guidance for the country, so there are no tablets to take. Both sources state that yellow fever vaccine is not recommended and not required, so there is no certificate to chase. What is left is food-and-water cover, your routine vaccines, and one live question: animals. CDC does not hedge on it โ dogs infected with rabies are commonly found in Morocco. Stray dogs are ordinary in medinas, in villages and around the Atlas trailheads, and the Government of Canada also names monkeys, livestock, rodents, birds and bats among the animals to keep away from. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, and there is no treating it after that point. Everything about this page rearranges around that one fact.
Two things decide the outcome, and both happen before any vaccine. First, wash it โ properly, with soap and running water, for far longer than feels necessary. Second, treat it as urgent medical care rather than a first-aid problem, however small the wound, and including a scratch or a lick on broken skin, because the Government of Canada states rabies can be spread through scratches as well as bites. Then get post-exposure treatment started. CDC says that if rabies exposures occur in Morocco, rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country โ which is genuinely reassuring, and is also why "most" is the word to plan around. If your trip runs into the deep south, the desert or the higher Atlas, the distance to that care is the thing to think about before you go, not after. Tell your travel insurer too: the Government of Canada advises getting insurance that covers medical evacuation and hospital stays, and this is one of the situations it exists for.
It depends, and the two sources reason about it differently, which is useful. CDC weighs pre-exposure vaccination on two things: whether your activities put you around potentially rabid animals, and whether you could get prompt access to safe post-exposure treatment. The Government of Canada instead lists the people it considers at higher risk: veterinarians and wildlife workers, children, adventure travellers and cave explorers, and anyone who will be in close contact with animals. Put the two together and a pattern falls out. A week in Marrakech and Essaouira with sensible distance from strays sits at one end. A month of trekking, cycling, volunteering with animals, or travelling with small children through villages far from a hospital sits at the other. Notably, the Government of Canada names children explicitly and CDC does not โ so for a family this is a per-child conversation, not a household one.
CDC is specific about weather in a way that suits Morocco: heat-related illness such as heat stroke can be deadly, so eat and drink regularly, wear loose lightweight clothing and limit physical activity in high temperatures. It asks you to use sunscreen of at least SPF 15, wear protective clothing and seek shade between 10am and 4pm, and adds that you should be especially careful during summer months and at high elevation โ that mention of elevation is about ultraviolet, not oxygen. It also warns that very cold temperatures can be dangerous and to dress in layers, which is the part visitors underestimate: the Atlas can be genuinely cold while Marrakech is not. Now the honest bit. Neither CDC nor the Government of Canada raises altitude illness for Morocco, and we are not going to invent guidance to fill that gap. If you are walking to a refuge or up Toubkal, bring the itinerary to the appointment with the heights and the number of nights on it, and our pharmacist will talk it through with you in person.
The Government of Canada is direct about care in Morocco: quality varies greatly across the country, Casablanca, Marrakesh and Rabat have good private facilities for non-emergencies, and care in public health facilities is not up to Canadian standards. It also notes that doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment โ which catches people out, because a Canadian credit card is not the reflex it is at home. It advises travel insurance covering medical evacuation and hospital stays, and adds a line worth taking literally: pack a travel health kit, especially if you will be travelling away from major city centres. For a Sahara night or an Atlas trek that means rehydration salts, pain and fever relief, antiseptic and dressings, blister care, and anything you take regularly in enough quantity, in labelled packaging. We can build that with you in the same visit.
The Government of Canadaโs overall advice for Morocco is to exercise a high degree of caution because of the threat of terrorism, with regional advisories layered on top. It says to avoid all travel to the area within 20 km of the border with Algeria, and to the area within 30 km west of the Berm, citing heavy military presence and an unstable security situation. It says to avoid non-essential travel to Western Sahara because of terrorism and unexploded landmines, describing the Berm as a militarised boundary and noting that there are fatalities involving unexploded ordnance in that zone each year. Most Calgary itineraries โ Marrakech, Fes, Chefchaouen, Essaouira, the Sahara tours from Merzouga, the Atlas trailheads โ do not go near any of it. If yours runs south towards Dakhla or east towards the Algerian frontier, read the current advisory in full on travel.gc.ca and check the boundaries before you book. For remote areas generally it advises sticking to officially designated tourist areas, taking local official advice before heading into the southern desert, hiring only guides recommended by hotels, agencies or tourist authorities, using a four-wheel drive off-road, and carrying proper supplies including drinking water.
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 personโs 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.
The Government of Canada lists children among those at higher risk of rabies exposure, and Morocco is a destination where CDC says rabid dogs are commonly found. Small children approach animals, are less likely to mention a scratch, and are more often bitten on the face or hands. This is worth deciding per child rather than per family โ and worth a rule everyone repeats out loud before the first medina: we look, we do not touch.
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.
CDCโs advice โ eat and drink regularly, loose lightweight clothing, less activity in the hottest hours, shade between 10am and 4pm โ is written for everyone, and children are the ones who ignore all of it. Plan the souk and the desert for early and late, and carry more water than the adults think they need.
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: hepatitis A, hepatitis B and your routine vaccines brought up to date, with typhoid worth a proper conversation because the two official sources disagree about it. CDC publishes no malaria guidance for Morocco, and both sources say yellow fever vaccine is neither recommended nor required. Rabies is the one that depends on your trip rather than on the destination โ and for Morocco it is the question we spend the most time on.
No to both, for Morocco itself. CDC publishes no malaria section for the country, so there are no tablets to take. CDC states the yellow fever vaccine is not recommended and not required, and the Government of Canada says there is no risk present and that proof of vaccination is not required to enter. The one thing that changes this is routing: if Morocco is a leg of a longer trip through a country where yellow fever occurs, other countries on your route may have their own rules, so bring the full itinerary and we will check it.
Treat it as urgent, even if it looks like nothing. Wash the wound with soap and running water for far longer than feels necessary, then seek medical care immediately. The Government of Canada notes rabies can be spread through scratches as well as bites and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, so a small scratch from a stray is not a wait-and-see situation. CDC says that if rabies exposures occur in Morocco, rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country, which is genuinely reassuring โ the planning question is how far your particular route sits from that care.
For a week in Marrakech and Essaouira, often not. For a long trip, a trekking or cycling route, volunteering with animals, or travelling with small children through villages a long way from a hospital, often yes. CDC weighs it on your activities and on whether you could get prompt access to post-exposure treatment; the Government of Canada lists children, adventure travellers, cave explorers, veterinarians, wildlife workers and anyone in close contact with animals among those at higher risk. Worth noting that Canada names children explicitly and CDC does not โ so for a family it is a per-child decision.
You have, and both sources are on this page. CDC recommends typhoid vaccination for most travellers to Morocco, especially anyone staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas. The Government of Canada says the risk exists but is low for most travellers, and that the vaccine may be recommended for some. We show you the disagreement and decide with you: a hotel week in Marrakech and a month staying with family in a small town are genuinely different answers.
Neither CDC nor the Government of Canada raises altitude illness for Morocco, and we are not going to manufacture guidance to fill that gap. What both do cover is weather: CDC warns that very cold temperatures can be dangerous and asks travellers to dress in layers and watch for changing conditions, and it warns separately about heat, sun and ultraviolet โ noting you should be especially careful at high elevation, which is about UV rather than oxygen. Bring your trekking itinerary with the heights and the number of nights on it and our pharmacist will go through it with you in person.
It depends where you are. The Government of Canada says the quality of medical care varies greatly across Morocco, that Casablanca, Marrakesh and Rabat have good private facilities for non-emergencies, and that care in public health facilities is not up to Canadian standards. It also warns that doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment, so carry some. Get travel insurance that covers medical evacuation and hospital stays, save the policy number offline, and pack a travel health kit โ it asks for one particularly if you are travelling away from the major city centres.
Nothing. The travel consultation is free โ a full itinerary review, every recommended vaccine discussed, and advice for your particular trip. You pay only for the vaccines actually given. It is one appointment in south Calgary with a pharmacist, and no doctorโs referral is needed in Alberta.
Bring your travel dates. A pharmacist will go through what you need for Morocco, 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 โ #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 doctorโs referral is needed. In Alberta a pharmacist can assess you, prescribe what your trip needs and give the vaccines in the same visit โ 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 โ if your trip is months away, check again or ask us.
