Travel health · Philippines
Seven thousand islands, some of the best diving anywhere, and a lot of Canadians going home to see family. The vaccine list is short — the rabies conversation is the one that has actually changed.
The short version
Most travellers to Philippines 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 Philippines.
Food and water, and both sources agree flatly: CDC for unvaccinated travellers aged one and over, 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.
Both sources now say everyone. CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers of all ages to the Philippines — not the usual "under 60" wording — and the Government of Canada recommends it for all travellers. Many Canadians already have it from the school programme, so we check first.
The standard course runs over months. Faster schedules exist — bring your dates.
CDC recommends it for most travellers, and especially for anyone staying with friends or relatives — which describes a large share of the Canadians who fly to Manila. The Government of Canada is looser, saying it may be recommended depending on your risk.
At least two weeks before departure. The oral capsules take a week to finish.
Tetanus, measles-mumps-rubella, polio, diphtheria, chickenpox. CDC asks all international travellers to be fully vaccinated against measles and everyone to be current before every trip.
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 Philippines. 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; the Government of Canada for all travellers to areas where hepatitis A is present.
Spread through blood and bodily fluids — medical or dental care abroad, tattoos, piercings, unplanned injuries. CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers of ALL ages to the Philippines, which is broader than its wording for many destinations, and the Government of Canada recommends it for all travellers. Many Canadians already have it from the routine school programme, so the first thing we do is look.
Bacterial infection from contaminated food and water. CDC recommends it for most travellers to the Philippines, especially those staying with friends or relatives. The Government of Canada says a vaccine is available and may be recommended for some travellers depending on risk. Injection or oral capsules; the capsules take a week to finish.
CDC asks travellers to be up to date on routine vaccines before every trip and asks all international travellers to be fully vaccinated against measles. Tetanus is the one that lapses quietly — coral cuts and scooter grazes are the usual reason it comes up here.
CDC advises all eligible travellers to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.
CDC states that dogs infected with rabies are commonly found in the Philippines, and reports that the country’s own Food and Drug Administration has flagged counterfeit rabies vaccine in circulation — product that may not be effective and could contain harmful ingredients. The Government of Canada lists children, adventure travellers, cave explorers, veterinarians and wildlife workers among those at higher risk. Given the supply problem, this sits higher on the list here than it would for a comparable trip elsewhere.
CDC recommends it for people relocating or spending extended periods in areas where it occurs, and says to consider it for shorter stays involving higher-risk activities. The Government of Canada frames it around long stays, repeat trips, rural areas, outbreaks and heavy mosquito exposure. Rarely the answer for two weeks of islands.
CDC says it may be considered for people travelling or moving to the Philippines who plan to stay six months or more. The Government of Canada notes chikungunya is a risk in the country. For a holiday, mosquito precautions do the work.
CDC says vaccination may be considered for children and adults travelling to areas of active cholera transmission. For most itineraries it does not come up; after a typhoon or in an outbreak area it can.
Honest about the risks, and specific about what prevents each one.
CDC says rabid dogs are commonly found in the Philippines, and has flagged counterfeit rabies vaccine circulating in the country. Street dogs are everywhere, including on the islands, and puppies are the ones children approach.
Prevention Do not touch dogs, cats or monkeys, however friendly. Wash any bite, scratch or lick on broken skin for a full fifteen minutes and seek medical advice the same day. Discuss pre-exposure vaccination before you go — here more than most places.
A risk to travellers, spread by daytime-biting mosquitoes and varying by season and region. The Government of Canada notes there is no vaccine or medication available in Canada to prevent it.
Prevention Repellent through the day, not just at dusk. Air-conditioned or screened rooms.
The Government of Canada notes the Philippines experiences around twenty typhoons a year, mostly between June and November, with flooding and mudslides frequent, plus earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunami risk.
Prevention Build slack into island-hopping itineraries in season — ferries stop before airports do. Carry your medication in hand luggage; a two-day delay on an island is common and pharmacies are not.
A risk in the Philippines. Spread mainly by mosquito bite but also sexually, and it can cause serious birth defects.
Prevention If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, this deserves a conversation before you book rather than after.
The Government of Canada names it as a risk. Fever and joint pain, which can persist well after the trip.
Prevention The same daytime mosquito precautions that cover dengue.
Contaminated food, water and ice. More likely on longer provincial stays than in a Manila hotel.
Prevention Bottled or boiled water, ice you trust, food cooked fresh and hot. Rehydration salts weigh nothing and we can send you with a standby antibiotic where it is appropriate.
Diving, snorkelling and small boats are why many people come. Coral cuts get infected quickly in warm water, and the nearest chamber can be a long way from the nearest island.
Prevention Clean and cover every scrape properly. Check your travel insurance actually covers diving to the depth you plan. Tell us if you are diving — it changes which malaria tablet we would choose.
Prevented with tablets rather than a vaccine, and only needed for some routes — which is why the answer depends on your itinerary.
CDC puts malaria risk in the province of Palawan and the Mindanao island group. NO risk in Metropolitan Manila or in urban areas generally — so Manila, Cebu City and the usual resort islands outside Palawan sit outside it. El Nido and Coron are inside it, which surprises people, because Palawan reads as a beach holiday rather than a malaria zone.
CDC lists atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine. Around 85% of cases are P. falciparum with P. vivax making up most of the rest, so chloroquine is not on the list. If you are diving, say so — doxycycline and long days in strong sun are a poor combination, and that alone often decides the choice.
The things that prevent most travel illness are not medical.
CDC says dogs infected with rabies are commonly found in the Philippines. It also reports that the Philippines Food and Drug Administration has flagged counterfeit rabies vaccine in circulation — product that may not work and could contain harmful ingredients. Those two facts together change the calculation. The usual reasoning for skipping pre-exposure rabies vaccine on a short trip is that if something happens, you can be treated when it does. That reasoning depends on the local supply being what it says it is. Pre-exposure vaccination does not remove the need for treatment after a bite, but it reduces what you need to find and buys time to reach somewhere you trust. If you are travelling with small children, staying a while, diving remote sites, or visiting family in a province, we would talk this through properly rather than tick a box.
CDC puts malaria risk in the province of Palawan and the Mindanao island group, and no risk in Metropolitan Manila or urban areas generally. About 85% of cases are P. falciparum, which is why the drug options are atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine or tafenoquine rather than chloroquine. El Nido and Coron are the ones that catch people out — Palawan is a beach itinerary that happens to sit inside the malaria map. Tell us the islands.
The Government of Canada advises against ALL travel to fourteen provinces of western Mindanao — Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and the Zamboanga provinces among them — citing terrorism, kidnapping and violent clashes. It advises against non-essential travel to eleven more provinces in central and eastern Mindanao. That overlaps almost exactly with the malaria map, so if Mindanao is on your itinerary, read the advisory before you plan the vaccines. It is a safety question first.
CDC singles out travellers staying with friends or relatives as a group for whom typhoid vaccination is especially recommended. Longer stays, home cooking, provincial towns and less bottled water add up differently from a resort week — and it is precisely the detail people leave out, because going home does not feel like travelling. It changes the advice, so tell us.
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.
The Government of Canada lists children among those at higher risk of rabies exposure, and CDC says rabid dogs are commonly found in the Philippines. Small children approach puppies, are less likely to mention a scratch, and are more often bitten on the face or hands. With counterfeit vaccine reported in the local supply, the case for sorting this before you fly is stronger here than almost anywhere else on this site.
CDC singles out travellers staying with friends or relatives as a group for whom typhoid vaccination is especially recommended. If the children are spending the summer with grandparents in the province, that is a different trip from a week in a resort — and we would rather plan for the real one.
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.
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 is a stronger recommendation here than for most beach destinations, and for a specific reason. CDC says rabid dogs are commonly found in the Philippines, and reports that the country’s own FDA has flagged counterfeit rabies vaccine in circulation — product that may not work. The usual argument for skipping the pre-exposure course is "if I am bitten, I will get treated there", and that argument depends on the local supply being genuine. Pre-exposure vaccination does not replace treatment after a bite, but it reduces what you have to find and buys you time to reach somewhere you trust. Worth a real conversation, especially with children or a longer stay.
No. CDC puts malaria risk in Palawan and the Mindanao island group, and no risk in Manila or urban areas generally. Boracay and Cebu sit outside it.
Those are in Palawan, which is inside the malaria risk area — and this is the one that surprises people, because Palawan reads as a beach holiday. If Palawan is on your itinerary, tablets are part of the conversation. Tell us if you are diving too: doxycycline and long days in strong sun do not go together, and that often decides which one we choose.
Yes, and it is the detail most often left out because going home does not feel like travelling. CDC singles out travellers staying with friends or relatives as a group for whom typhoid vaccination is especially recommended — longer stays, home cooking and provincial water supplies add up differently from a resort week. Say so when you book.
Not coming from Canada. The Philippines requires proof only if you are arriving from — or have transited an airport in — a country where yellow fever occurs. If your route passes through Africa or South America, bring the whole itinerary.
The Government of Canada puts the rainy season from May to November and notes around twenty typhoons a year, mostly June to November. It matters less for infection than for logistics: keep every prescription in your hand luggage and carry a few days extra, because being stuck on an island for two days is ordinary and finding a pharmacy there is not.
Yes, and most families do. We review each person’s records separately but plan the trip as one visit — tell us how many are travelling when you book so we set the time aside. Hepatitis A can be given from twelve months, and rabies is worth discussing per child given what CDC says about dogs here.
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 Philippines, 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 30 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 30 July 2026. Official advice changes — if your trip is months away, check again or ask us.