Travel health · Myanmar
Shwedagon at dusk, the Irrawaddy, family waiting at the other end — and the one destination here where the advisory has to be read before the vaccine list.
The short version
Most travellers to Myanmar need 5 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 Myanmar.
Not a vaccine, and the first thing on this page for a reason. CDC lists malaria in ALL areas of Burma, with no city carve-out of the kind it gives for Phnom Penh, Vientiane or Luang Prabang. The Government of Canada describes a risk in certain areas and at certain times of year, with medication possibly recommended depending on itinerary and season. That is the widest gap between our two sources anywhere on this site, and we are not going to split the difference for you — we will show you both and prescribe against your actual route.
Four to six weeks ahead. One of the options needs a blood test first.
Food and water. CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and over going to Burma; the Government of Canada recommends vaccination for all travellers. No qualification on either side.
Any time before you fly. One dose covers the trip; a second, six months later, covers decades.
CDC recommends hepatitis B for unvaccinated travellers of ALL ages going to Burma. That is broader than the wording it uses for most of the region, where the recommendation stops at 60. The Government of Canada also recommends it for all travellers. When the two most cautious sources we have both drop their usual qualifiers, that is worth noticing.
The standard course runs over months. Faster schedules exist — bring your dates.
Contaminated food and water. CDC recommends it for most travellers to Burma, especially anyone staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities and rural areas — which describes most people who come to us about this trip. The Government of Canada calls the risk low for most travellers.
At least two weeks ahead for the injection; the oral capsules take a week to finish.
Tetanus, measles-mumps-rubella, polio, chickenpox. CDC asks travellers to be current before every trip and asks all international travellers to be fully vaccinated against measles with MMR; the Government of Canada also asks travellers to make sure they are protected against measles before going.
Tetanus if it has been more than ten years, which for most adults it has.
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 Myanmar. 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 Burma, and notes infants aged 6 to 11 months are also eligible for a travel dose; the Government of Canada recommends vaccination for all travellers. One of the few items on this page both sources state without qualification.
Spread through blood and bodily fluids, including unplanned medical or dental treatment. CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers of ALL ages going to Burma — broader than the under-60 wording it uses for much of the region — and the Government of Canada recommends it for all travellers. It matters more here because the Government of Canada describes medical facilities as limited and below Canadian standards, and because foreign prescription drugs are described as often counterfeit.
Bacterial infection from contaminated food and water. Our sources differ: CDC recommends it for most travellers to Burma, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas, while the Government of Canada says the risk is low for most travellers and that the vaccine may be recommended for higher-risk trips. Since visiting relatives is the most common reason Calgarians make this trip, CDC’s qualifier usually applies. Available as an injection or oral capsules.
CDC asks travellers to be up to date before every trip and asks all international travellers to be fully vaccinated against measles with MMR. The Government of Canada also asks travellers to make sure they are protected against measles before going. Tetanus is the one that lapses quietly.
CDC advises all eligible travellers to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, and the Government of Canada recommends vaccination for this destination.
CDC says cholera vaccination may be considered for children and adults travelling to areas of active cholera transmission in Burma. The Government of Canada notes a risk in parts of the country and reserves the vaccine for higher-risk travellers. The oral vaccine also offers some protection against traveller’s diarrhoea, which is often the practical reason it comes up. Whether your route qualifies is a conversation, not a rule.
Mosquito-borne virus that can cause brain swelling. CDC recommends the vaccine for people moving to an area with Japanese encephalitis to live, or spending a month or more there, and says to consider it for shorter stays that involve rural areas, hiking, camping or accommodation without air conditioning or screens. It is not recommended for short-term travel to urban areas. The Government of Canada calls the risk very low for most travellers, higher for stays of 30 days or more, rural areas and outbreak periods. Two doses, 28 days apart.
CDC states that rabies-infected dogs are commonly found in Burma, and adds a detail that matters more here than almost anywhere else on this site: if an exposure happens, rabies vaccines may only be available in larger suburban or urban medical facilities. The Government of Canada calls rabies common in this destination and names children, adventure travellers, veterinarians and wildlife workers among the higher-risk groups. If your trip takes you well outside Yangon or Mandalay, pre-exposure vaccination changes what you need after a bite and how fast you need it.
CDC says chikungunya vaccination is generally not recommended for Burma. The Government of Canada notes the risk varies by season and region and that a vaccine is approved in Canada, and asks travellers to discuss it with a provider. For most trips, mosquito precautions carry this one.
Not recommended for Myanmar itself — there is no yellow fever in the country and both sources say so. Proof of vaccination is required only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever occurs; CDC applies that requirement from one year of age. If Myanmar is one leg of a longer route, bring the whole itinerary.
Honest about the risks, and specific about what prevents each one.
The Government of Canada advises avoiding all travel to Myanmar because of politically motivated violence, terrorist attacks, kidnapping, arbitrary arrest and detention, and civil unrest during the ongoing armed conflict, with increased attacks and airstrikes since October 2023 causing civilian casualties. It also states that Canada’s ability to provide consular assistance there is extremely limited.
Prevention Read the current advisory in full before booking. Confirm in writing whether your travel insurance is valid for a destination under an "avoid all travel" advisory. Register with the Government of Canada’s service for Canadians abroad, and leave your itinerary with someone at home.
CDC lists transmission in all areas of Burma — cities included — with chloroquine and mefloquine resistance recorded, and a parasite mix of roughly 80% P. vivax and 20% P. falciparum. The Government of Canada describes risk in certain areas and at certain times of year. Falciparum malaria can become life-threatening within days.
Prevention Tablets chosen against your actual route, plus bite prevention that does not lapse. In Bago, Tanintharyi, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin and Shan, CDC does not include mefloquine. Any fever during the trip or in the year afterwards should be assessed for malaria — tell the doctor where you have been.
The Government of Canada states that foreign prescription drugs in Myanmar are often counterfeit and unsafe to use, and that medical facilities are limited in Yangon and very limited elsewhere.
Prevention Bring the whole trip’s supply and then some, in original labelled packaging, in hand luggage. Do not plan to buy anything there. Come and see us early enough that we can arrange an extended travel supply.
The Government of Canada says medical evacuation is necessary for cases of serious illness or accident, and that doctors and hospitals may demand immediate cash payment for health services and for the evacuation. It also notes credit cards are not widely accepted, ATM withdrawal limits are low and machines are often out of service.
Prevention Insurance that explicitly names medical evacuation and hospital stays, and a written answer from your insurer about the advisory level. Enough cash for the trip, and the declaration rule for amounts over US$10,000 understood before you pack it.
Both sources name dengue as a risk, and the Government of Canada notes there is no vaccine or medication for it available in Canada. Zika and chikungunya are also present. Dengue mosquitoes bite in daylight.
Prevention DEET 20%+ or picaridin through the day, reapplied. Screened or air-conditioned rooms, and a net where there is neither. Long sleeves at dawn and dusk.
CDC states rabies-infected dogs are commonly found in Burma and that rabies vaccines may only be available in larger suburban or urban medical facilities. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
Prevention Do not touch animals. Wash any bite or scratch with soap and water for 15 minutes and get to a larger city hospital immediately. Pre-exposure vaccination is worth serious thought for anyone spending time away from Yangon or Mandalay.
The Government of Canada states that unmarked landmines, particularly in border areas, can be found across the country. Unmarked is the operative word — there may be no sign at all.
Prevention Major roads only. No fields, no rural shortcuts, no unmarked trails, no matter how used they look.
The Government of Canada records a magnitude 7.7 earthquake near Sagaing and Mandalay on 28 March 2025 that caused extensive damage, with aftershocks continuing, affecting Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, northeast Shan, Naypyidaw and Bago.
Prevention Check the state of buildings and roads on your route before travelling into affected regions, and expect services in them to be reduced.
CDC lists leptospirosis, melioidosis and schistosomiasis for Burma — caught from contaminated fresh water, floodwater, mud and soil, especially after heavy rain. None of the three has a vaccine.
Prevention Stay out of fresh water you cannot vouch for. Avoid floodwater and bare-skin contact with mud. Cover cuts, and wash and dry properly after any soil contact.
The Government of Canada describes hazardous road conditions, especially after dark, with stray livestock, pedestrians, poorly maintained vehicles, poor visibility and drunk drivers, and notes that a driver involved in any accident with a pedestrian is always at fault.
Prevention Daylight travel on major roads. Consider not driving yourself at all. Expect roadblocks and build slack into every schedule.
The Government of Canada notes that human cases of avian influenza have been reported in Myanmar and advises avoiding contact with birds and undercooked poultry.
Prevention Stay out of live-poultry and wet markets. Cook poultry and eggs through. Wash hands after any animal contact.
Prevented with tablets rather than a vaccine, and only needed for some routes — which is why the answer depends on your itinerary.
This is the clearest disagreement between our two sources on any page here, so we state both. CDC lists malaria transmission in ALL areas of Burma, with no exemption for cities — unlike its entries for Cambodia and Laos, which explicitly clear the capitals. The Government of Canada uses more general wording: a risk in certain areas and at certain times of year, with antimalarial medication possibly recommended depending on itinerary and season. We treat CDC as the outer boundary and prescribe against your actual route and month, rather than producing an average that neither source wrote.
CDC records chloroquine and mefloquine resistance, and divides the country. In the regions of Bago and Tanintharyi and the states of Kachin, Kayah, Kayin and Shan it recommends atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline or tafenoquine. In all other areas it lists those three plus mefloquine. The parasite mix is roughly 80% P. vivax and 20% P. falciparum, with P. knowlesi, P. malariae and P. ovale rare. Tafenoquine requires a G6PD blood test before it can be prescribed, because it can cause serious red-cell breakdown in people who are G6PD deficient — arranging that is the practical reason we ask for four to six weeks. Whatever we prescribe, any fever during the trip or in the year after it should be assessed for malaria.
The things that prevent most travel illness are not medical.
The Government of Canada advises Canadians to AVOID ALL TRAVEL to Myanmar, citing politically motivated violence, terrorist attacks, kidnapping, arbitrary arrest and detention, and civil unrest during the ongoing armed conflict. It also states that its own ability to provide consular assistance and other support in the country is extremely limited, and that the embassy needs permission from the Myanmar authorities to travel outside Yangon. That is a higher level than any other destination on this site and it changes the meaning of everything below. Two practical consequences. First, many Canadian travel insurance policies are void or heavily restricted for a destination under an "avoid all travel" advisory — that is a question to put to your insurer in writing before you book, and it is not one we can answer for you. Second, the advisory is not written for the people who most often come to us about this trip: Burmese-Canadian families going to see relatives, aid and faith workers, journalists. We will help you go as safely as we can. We are also going to make sure you have read it.
CDC lists malaria transmission in ALL areas of Burma. There is no urban exemption — nothing like the "none in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap" it gives for Cambodia or "none in Luang Prabang and Vientiane" for Laos. The Government of Canada, by contrast, uses its standard wording: a risk in certain areas and at certain times of year, with antimalarial medication possibly recommended depending on your itinerary and the season. Those are genuinely different pictures and averaging them would produce a sentence neither source wrote. What we do instead: treat CDC as the outer boundary, ask exactly where you are going and in what month, and prescribe on that. The drug choice then depends on where inside the country you are. CDC records chloroquine and mefloquine resistance, and splits the map: in the regions of Bago and Tanintharyi and the states of Kachin, Kayah, Kayin and Shan it recommends atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline or tafenoquine; in all other areas it adds mefloquine back as an option. CDC also puts the parasite mix at about 80% P. vivax and 20% P. falciparum. Tafenoquine needs a G6PD blood test before it can be prescribed, which is why we ask for four to six weeks rather than four days.
The Government of Canada states that foreign prescription drugs in Myanmar are often counterfeit and unsafe to use. Read that sentence again if you were planning to top up when you arrive. It also describes limited medical facilities in Yangon that do not meet Canadian standards and very limited facilities elsewhere, says that medical evacuation is necessary for serious illness or accident, and warns that doctors and hospitals may demand immediate cash payment both for treatment and for the evacuation itself — in a country where it also says credit cards are not widely accepted, ATM daily withdrawal limits are low and machines are often out of service. Put those together and the practical advice is unusually concrete: bring the whole trip’s supply of everything you take, in original labelled packaging, in hand luggage; bring more than the trip strictly needs; and carry enough cash, because the machine may not be working on the day it matters. Declaring more than US$10,000 is a legal requirement there, so know the rule before you pack it.
Typhoid: CDC recommends it for most travellers to Burma; the Government of Canada says the risk is low for most travellers and reserves the vaccine for higher-risk trips. Japanese encephalitis: CDC recommends it for anyone moving there or staying a month or more and says to consider it for shorter trips with rural activities, camping or unscreened accommodation, while the Government of Canada calls the risk very low for most travellers. Chikungunya: CDC says vaccination is generally not recommended; the Government of Canada notes a vaccine is approved in Canada and to discuss it. And on hepatitis B they converge in the other direction — CDC drops its usual under-60 qualifier and recommends it for unvaccinated travellers of all ages. Our pharmacist reads both pages, not one, and applies them to your trip. Where we lean one way we will tell you which way and why.
The Government of Canada states that Myanmar does not recognise dual citizenship, that Myanmar authorities may refuse to grant you access to Canadian consular services if they consider you a Myanmar citizen, and that a 2010 conscription law was activated in February 2024 requiring men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 to serve at least two years, with up to three years in prison plus a fine for evasion. This is not a pharmacy question and we will not pretend to advise on it — but it is the single most consequential thing on the Government of Canada’s page for a large share of the people who come to us about this trip, and nobody should find it out at the airport. Read the current advisory in full at travel.gc.ca before you book.
The Government of Canada reports increased attacks and indiscriminate airstrikes since October 2023, with civilian casualties, drone strikes, mass arson and human rights abuses, and tells travellers to expect roadblocks and disruption. It states that unmarked landmines, particularly in border areas, can be found across the country, and advises using major roads only and avoiding fields, rural areas and unmarked trails. It also records a magnitude 7.7 earthquake near Sagaing and Mandalay on 28 March 2025 that caused extensive damage, with aftershocks continuing, affecting Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, northeast Shan, Naypyidaw and Bago. Roads are described as hazardous, especially after dark. And it notes that VPN and internet services are often blocked and that electronic communications are monitored — so do not assume you can look anything up, or reach anyone, once you are there. Print what matters.
Most people booking a travel consult with us are sorting out a household, not just themselves. A few things are different for children.
Most people who come to us about Myanmar are travelling as a family to see relatives. Bring everyone 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.
Children need their own prescription and their own dose, worked out on current weight rather than age, and not every option is suitable at every age. Bring recent weights for each child and their travel dates, and we will sort the whole household in one go rather than sending you back for a second visit.
CDC recommends hepatitis A vaccination for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and over going to Burma, and notes that infants aged 6 to 11 months are also eligible for a travel dose. That earlier dose does not count towards the routine schedule and is repeated later. Bring your child’s age in months.
The Government of Canada names children among those for whom rabies vaccination may be recommended, and CDC notes that after an exposure, rabies vaccines may only be available in larger suburban or urban medical facilities. Small children approach animals, under-report a lick or a scratch, and are more often bitten on the face or hands. If the trip goes well outside the main cities, this deserves a proper conversation.
Any immunisation records you can find, for each traveller — including anything from Myanmar itself. Alberta records we can often look up; out-of-province and overseas records we cannot. A photo of a yellow card is plenty.
That is your decision and we will not pretend otherwise. The Government of Canada advises avoiding all travel to Myanmar because of politically motivated violence, terrorist attacks, kidnapping, arbitrary arrest and detention, and civil unrest during the ongoing armed conflict, and states that its ability to provide consular assistance there is extremely limited. People still go — mostly to see family, or to work — and this page is written for them. Read the advisory in full before you book, and check with your insurer in writing whether your policy is valid for a destination at that advisory level.
Probably, and this is where our two sources genuinely disagree. CDC lists malaria in all areas of Burma with no city exemption — notably different from its Cambodia and Laos entries, which clear the capitals outright. The Government of Canada describes risk in certain areas and at certain times of year. We treat CDC as the outer boundary, ask exactly where you are going and in which month, and prescribe on that rather than averaging two different answers.
It does. CDC records chloroquine and mefloquine resistance and splits the map. In Bago and Tanintharyi regions and Kachin, Kayah, Kayin and Shan states it recommends atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline or tafenoquine. Everywhere else it also allows mefloquine. Tafenoquine needs a G6PD blood test before it can be prescribed, which takes time to arrange — that is why we ask for four to six weeks rather than a fortnight.
Do not plan on it. The Government of Canada states that foreign prescription drugs in Myanmar are often counterfeit and unsafe to use. Bring the whole trip’s supply and more, in original labelled packaging, in your hand luggage. If you tell us your travel dates a couple of weeks in advance we can usually arrange an extended supply of your regular prescriptions.
The Government of Canada says medical facilities in Yangon are limited and do not meet Canadian standards, that they are very limited elsewhere, and that medical evacuation is necessary for serious illness or accident. It also warns that doctors and hospitals may demand immediate cash payment for treatment and for the evacuation itself, in a country where credit cards are not widely accepted and ATM limits are low. Insurance naming medical evacuation and hospital stays is essential — and so is confirming that the policy is not void at this advisory level.
Yes, and it is important. The Government of Canada states that Myanmar does not recognise dual citizenship, that Myanmar authorities may refuse you access to Canadian consular services if they consider you a Myanmar citizen, and that a conscription law activated in February 2024 requires men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 to serve at least two years, with penalties for evasion. This is well outside what a pharmacist can advise on, but it is on the official page and you should read it in full before you book rather than discover it on arrival.
Yes, and most families making this trip come together. We review each person’s records separately but plan the trip as one visit — tell us how many are travelling when you book. Hepatitis A can be given from twelve months, with a travel dose possible for infants aged 6 to 11 months, and the Government of Canada names children among those for whom rabies vaccination may be recommended.
Nothing. The travel consultation is free — a full review of your itinerary, every recommended vaccine discussed, malaria tablets matched to your actual route, and honest advice about the advisory. You pay only for the vaccines actually given. No doctor’s referral is needed; in Alberta a pharmacist can assess, prescribe and vaccinate in the same visit.
Bring your travel dates. A pharmacist will go through what you need for Myanmar, 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.
