Travel health · Senegal
Dakar, the Petite Côte and the road to Saint-Louis. The vaccines here are quick — it is the list of things with no vaccine at all that makes this trip worth planning properly.
The short version
Most travellers to Senegal 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 Senegal.
Food and water, and the two sources agree without qualification: CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and over going to Senegal, and the Government of Canada says there is a risk of hepatitis A in this destination and recommends vaccination for all travellers to areas where it is present.
Any time before you fly. One dose covers the trip; a second, six months later, covers decades.
Blood and bodily fluids — sexual contact, medical or dental treatment, needles, tattooing, unplanned injuries. CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers of ALL ages for Senegal, not just the under-sixties; the Government of Canada recommends it for all travellers. It carries extra weight here because the same Canadian source says medical facilities are adequate in Dakar but limited elsewhere.
The standard course runs over months. Faster schedules exist — bring your dates and we will pick one that fits.
Not a formality in Senegal. CDC states that poliovirus has been identified in the country in the past year and that travellers to Senegal are at increased risk of exposure to poliovirus. The Government of Canada names the specific virus: circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus 2 is present. Both land on the same action — CDC describes a single lifetime booster dose of inactivated polio vaccine for adults who completed the childhood series, and a full series for anyone unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated; the Government of Canada recommends one adult booster. Measles matters too: CDC asks all international travellers to be fully vaccinated against it.
The polio booster and a tetanus-diphtheria top-up can both be given the day you come in.
Both sources say there is genuine yellow fever risk in Senegal and both recommend the vaccine — CDC for all travellers aged nine months and over. Whether proof is also REQUIRED depends on your route rather than on Senegal: it is required if you are arriving from, or have transited an airport in, a country where yellow fever occurs. Flying Calgary to Dakar via Europe, that clause does not catch you. Hopping around the region first, it can.
Early, if your route needs it. The certificate becomes valid ten days after the dose, and yellow fever vaccine is only given at designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres — we are one, so the vaccine and the certificate happen here in the same visit.
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 Senegal. 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 Senegal, and notes infants aged 6 to 11 months are also eligible for a travel dose. The Government of Canada says there is a risk of hepatitis A in this destination and recommends vaccination for all travellers to areas where it is present. No disagreement between the two.
Spread through blood and body fluids — sexual contact, medical or dental treatment, shared needles, tattooing, occupational exposure. For Senegal, CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers of all ages. The Government of Canada says hepatitis B is a risk in every destination and recommends vaccination for all travellers. Worth finishing rather than starting, given that the same source describes facilities as adequate in Dakar but limited elsewhere.
CDC states that poliovirus has been identified in Senegal in the past year and that travellers to Senegal are at increased risk of exposure to poliovirus. Adults who completed the childhood series may receive a single lifetime booster dose of inactivated polio vaccine; anyone unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated should complete the series before travel. The Government of Canada records circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus 2 as present and recommends one adult booster. Alongside that, both sources ask for the ordinary set to be current — measles-mumps-rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, varicella, meningococcal and seasonal flu — and CDC asks all international travellers to be fully vaccinated against measles.
CDC recommends the vaccine for all travellers aged nine months and over going to Senegal. The Government of Canada says there is a risk of yellow fever in the country and that vaccination is recommended. The entry requirement is separate and conditional: proof is required for travellers aged nine months and over arriving from a country where yellow fever occurs, including transit through an airport in such a country, and is not required for travellers arriving directly from a country without risk. The certificate becomes valid ten days after the dose, and the vaccine is only given at designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres — we are one, so it is given here and the certificate issued here. Bring the whole ticket, not just the Senegal leg.
CDC recommends it for most travellers to Senegal, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas. The Government of Canada describes the risk as low for most travellers, with a vaccine available that may be recommended for some. Both readings are here because both are what the sources say; in practice the answer turns on whether you are staying in Dakar or getting out of it, and for how long. Injection or oral capsules; the capsules take a week to finish.
The Government of Canada places Senegal in the African Meningitis Belt, which it describes as having the highest rates of meningococcal disease in the world, and recommends higher-risk travellers discuss vaccination. CDC is narrower and more specific: recommended from two months of age for travel to the areas of Senegal that are part of the meningitis belt, during the dry season, roughly December to June. So both where you are going within Senegal and which month you go matter — a January trip inland is a different question from a September week on the coast.
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 Senegal, and adds a detail that matters for the decision: if a rabies exposure happens there, rabies vaccines may only be available in larger suburban or urban medical facilities. The Government of Canada says rabies is present and that vaccination may be recommended for people at higher risk — veterinarians and wildlife workers, children, adventure travellers and cave explorers, and anyone in close contact with animals. Pre-exposure vaccination does not remove the need for treatment after a bite, but it simplifies and buys time on what you would otherwise have to reach quickly.
CDC says all travellers should take steps to prevent mosquito bites and that chikungunya vaccination is generally not recommended for Senegal. The Government of Canada says there is a risk of chikungunya in the country, that the level varies by season, year, region and elevation, that joint pain can be severe and last months or years, and that a vaccine is approved in Canada whose benefits and risks are worth discussing against your age and itinerary. The two are not far apart; for most trips, repellent carries it.
Worth stating as an absence rather than leaving you to wonder: neither source raises cholera vaccination on its Senegal page, which is not the case everywhere in the region. Safe food and water practice still applies for the usual reasons. If your trip involves relief work, an outbreak setting or somewhere with limited clean water, bring it up and we will look at the current situation with you.
Honest about the risks, and specific about what prevents each one.
CDC records malaria transmission in all areas of Senegal with no malaria-free zone listed, and Dakar is not carved out. Chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum is the main species — the one that causes severe disease — with P. malariae, P. ovale and P. vivax less common. The Government of Canada states that malaria is a risk to travellers here and that antimalarial medication is recommended for most travellers and should be taken as recommended.
Prevention Tablets for the whole trip, chosen against your itinerary and your other medicines. Plus bite prevention: covered skin, approved repellent, screened or sealed rooms, treated bed nets where mosquitoes cannot be kept out. If a fever turns up after you get home, tell the doctor you were in Senegal.
The Government of Canada states that Zika virus is a risk in Senegal and that it can cause serious birth defects. CDC lists it for Senegal and records that it spreads by mosquito bite and that an infected pregnant woman can spread it to her unborn baby. There is no vaccine and no preventive medicine, and the mosquitoes involved bite during the day.
Prevention If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, this belongs in the conversation before you book, not after. For everyone, daytime repellent, covered skin and screened rooms — the same measures that cover dengue and chikungunya.
The Government of Canada describes dengue risk in Senegal as sporadic and says there is a risk of chikungunya, whose joint pain can last months or years. CDC lists dengue among the bug-borne diseases here. There is no vaccine or medication available in Canada to prevent dengue.
Prevention Repellent through the day rather than only at dusk — 20 per cent or more DEET, or picaridin, reapplied. Loose long sleeves do more in the heat than they look like they will.
CDC’s Senegal page names African tick-bite fever, spread by tick bite, and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, spread by tick bite and by touching the body fluids of an infected person or animal. The Government of Canada’s Senegal page does not name either — a difference we would rather show you than smooth over. Neither has a vaccine.
Prevention Long trousers with socks over the cuffs in grass and bush, permethrin-treated clothing if you will be out in vegetation, repellent on exposed skin, and a proper tick check at the end of any day spent outdoors. Remove any tick promptly and keep an eye on the spot.
CDC records Rift Valley fever for Senegal, spread by touching the blood, body fluids or tissue of infected livestock and by mosquito bite, and lists the prevention as avoiding animals and avoiding bug bites. The Government of Canada says the risk is generally low for most travellers and confirms there is no vaccine available.
Prevention No handling of livestock, carcasses or fresh animal products, and give slaughter areas and livestock markets a wide berth. No unpasteurised milk or dairy.
A parasite picked up from fresh water. The Government of Canada says there is a risk in this destination, that most travellers are at low risk, and that travellers should avoid contact with untreated fresh water such as lakes, rivers and ponds — including swimming, bathing, wading and swallowing it. CDC frames it the same way. There is no vaccine and no preventive medicine.
Prevention Stay out of lakes, rivers and ponds entirely. Chlorinated pools are fine, and so is the sea. If washing water comes from a river, it wants boiling or treating first.
The Government of Canada is unusually specific here: coastal waters can be dangerous even for experienced swimmers, riptides are common, several drownings occur each year, beaches are generally unsupervised, and there is no warning system for unsafe conditions. For a country people visit for its coast, that deserves more than a footnote.
Prevention Swim where other people are swimming, and never alone. Ask locally about a beach before you get in, and treat an empty beach as information rather than luck.
CDC’s advice for Senegal includes sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher, protective clothing, and seeking shade during the hottest part of the day, roughly ten in the morning to four in the afternoon, along with staying hydrated and watching for heat illness.
Prevention Water more often than you think, shade in the middle of the day, and a hat. It also bears on the malaria tablet we choose, since some increase sun sensitivity — tell us how much time you will be outdoors.
CDC says rabid dogs are commonly found in Senegal, advises not touching or feeding animals you do not know, and notes that rabies vaccines may only be available in larger suburban or urban medical facilities if an exposure occurs. The Government of Canada names children among those at higher risk of exposure.
Prevention No touching dogs, cats or monkeys. Any bite, scratch or lick on broken skin: wash with soap and running water for a full fifteen minutes, then seek medical advice the same day — and further out from Dakar, that may mean starting a journey rather than a phone call.
The Government of Canada says medical facilities are adequate in Dakar but limited elsewhere, that public and private facilities generally require an initial cash deposit, a guarantee of payment or confirmation of insurance, and that some prescription medications may not be available in Senegal.
Prevention Travel insurance that explicitly covers medical evacuation and hospital stays, with the policy number and emergency line saved offline. Enough of your own medication for the whole stay, in the original container, in carry-on. A travel health kit, especially away from the main cities.
Prevented with tablets rather than a vaccine, and only needed for some routes — which is why the answer depends on your itinerary.
All of it, Dakar included. CDC records malaria transmission in ALL areas of Senegal and lists no malaria-free zone, so a city-only trip is still a trip inside the risk area. Chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum is the main species present, with P. malariae, P. ovale and P. vivax less common. The Government of Canada states that malaria is a risk to travellers to this destination and that antimalarial medication is recommended for most travellers.
Chloroquine resistance rules chloroquine out, and CDC lists four options: atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine. Choosing between them is a real conversation rather than a formality — it depends on your dates, your other medicines, whether pregnancy is in the picture, and how much time you will spend in full sun, because some of them increase sun sensitivity and CDC’s own Senegal advice is to seek shade between ten and four. They also begin at different points before departure and continue for different lengths of time after you land home, which is why the tablets belong in the same appointment as the vaccines rather than the week you fly.
The things that prevent most travel illness are not medical.
Count what Senegal actually carries that nothing can be injected against. CDC’s Senegal page names Zika, dengue, Rift Valley fever, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever and African tick-bite fever. The Government of Canada adds chikungunya and schistosomiasis, and states there is no vaccine available for Rift Valley fever and no vaccine or medication available in Canada to prevent dengue. That is seven things, and the entire protection for all of them comes down to three habits: do not get bitten by mosquitoes in the daytime, do not get bitten by ticks, and do not touch livestock or untreated fresh water. It is why we would rather spend the appointment on repellent, clothing and where you are actually going than run through a vaccine list in four minutes. CDC’s prevention column for every one of those five is the same two words — avoid bug bites — with “avoid animals” added for Rift Valley fever. Unglamorous, and it is genuinely the whole strategy.
The Government of Canada states that Zika virus is a risk in Senegal and that it can cause serious birth defects, advising travellers to prevent mosquito bites at all times. CDC lists Zika for Senegal and records two routes of spread: a mosquito bite, and an infected pregnant woman passing it to her unborn baby. There is no vaccine and no preventive medicine. That makes this the one item on the page that can change the trip rather than just add to the shopping list — so if you are pregnant, or you or your partner are planning a pregnancy in the foreseeable future, please raise it at the start of the consultation rather than at the end. It is a conversation about timing and about your particular circumstances, and it is not one to have by reading a website. The mosquitoes involved bite in daylight, which catches people who plan their repellent around the evening.
This is where the two sources are not saying the same thing, and we will show you rather than average them. CDC’s Senegal page lists African tick-bite fever, spread by tick bite; Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, spread by tick bite and by touching the body fluids of an infected person or animal; and Rift Valley fever, spread by touching the blood, body fluids or tissue of infected livestock and by mosquito bite. The Government of Canada’s Senegal page names Rift Valley fever, describing the risk as generally low for most travellers and confirming there is no vaccine — but it does not name Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever or African tick-bite fever at all. We are not going to pretend that difference does not exist. What it means practically is the same either way, and it is easy: if your trip involves the bush, tall grass, game or nature reserves, farms, herds or livestock markets, treat ticks and animal contact as a real precaution rather than a curiosity. Long trousers, socks over the cuffs, a tick check at the end of the day, permethrin-treated clothing if you will be out in vegetation, and no handling of livestock or fresh animal products.
CDC recommends typhoid vaccination for most travellers to Senegal, and names two groups in particular: those staying with friends or relatives, and those visiting smaller cities or rural areas. The Government of Canada is lighter — there is a risk of typhoid fever, but it is low for most travellers, with a vaccine available that may be recommended for some. We show you both. The practical axis in Senegal is Dakar versus everywhere else. A short business trip staying in the capital sits nearer the Canadian reading. Saint-Louis, the Casamance, the Sine-Saloum, a stay in a family home, or several weeks moving around, and you are the traveller CDC is describing — eating from the same kitchen and market as everyone else, with the water not filtered through a hotel. If your trip is to see family, say so when you book; it changes the recommendation rather than the price.
CDC records malaria transmission in ALL areas of Senegal, and does not carve Dakar out — which surprises people who assume a capital city is safe ground. The species present are chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum primarily, with P. malariae, P. ovale and P. vivax less commonly. Chloroquine is therefore not an option, and CDC lists four that are: atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine. The Government of Canada states plainly that malaria is a risk to travellers to this destination and that antimalarial medication is recommended for most travellers and should be taken as recommended. Which tablet suits you depends on your dates, your other medicines, whether pregnancy is in the picture, and how much sun you are going to be in — CDC’s own advice for Senegal is to seek shade between ten and four, which is worth weighing if we are considering doxycycline.
The Government of Canada advises Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution in Senegal because of levels of crime — a lighter overall level than much of the region. It flags the Casamance and border areas separately, also at exercise a high degree of caution: the security situation improved after the February 2025 peace agreement, but active rebel factions remain, particularly along the border with the Gambia, with risks including clashes, mine explosions, armed attacks, robberies and sporadic attacks along roads. It also notes that armed terrorist groups operate in the border areas with Mali and Mauritania, where kidnapping is a concern. On the roads: main roads are usually in good condition, but travel outside the cities may need four-wheel drive, and it names pedestrians and animals on the road, potholes, heavy motorcycle and bicycle traffic, missing signs, poor lighting and poorly maintained vehicles — with advice not to drive between cities at night. And the one people do not expect on a beach holiday: coastal waters can be dangerous even for experienced swimmers, riptides are common, several drownings occur each year, beaches are generally unsupervised and there is no system to warn of unsafe conditions.
The Government of Canada says medical facilities are adequate in the capital, Dakar, but limited elsewhere. Public and private facilities generally require an initial cash deposit, a guarantee of payment, or confirmation that you have medical insurance, and it advises insurance that covers medical evacuation and hospital stays. Two practical knock-ons. First, rabies: CDC notes that if a rabies exposure happens in Senegal, the vaccines may only be available in larger suburban or urban medical facilities — so a bite in a rural area starts with a journey. Second, medicines: the Government of Canada says some prescription medications may not be available in Senegal, and advises bringing enough for your stay, in the original container, with a copy of your prescriptions, packed in carry-on luggage. An early or extended travel supply is something we can usually arrange, and it is far easier a fortnight out than the day before you fly.
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.
Polio is a live question for Senegal rather than a formality, and for children it is usually about whether the routine schedule is complete and on time rather than an extra booster. A photo of a yellow card or a provincial printout is plenty — Alberta records we can often look up, out-of-province and overseas records we cannot.
The four options CDC lists are not interchangeable for a child, and the dose follows current weight rather than age. Bring recent weights and it saves a second visit. Senegal has no malaria-free area, so this applies wherever you are staying, Dakar included.
The mosquitoes carrying Zika, dengue and chikungunya bite in daylight, which is exactly when children are outside and least covered up. Bring more repellent than you expect to use, and put it on before the day starts rather than after the first bite.
Fresh water and friendly dogs. Schistosomiasis has no vaccine and no preventive medicine, so lakes, rivers and ponds are a rule rather than a precaution. And CDC says rabid dogs are commonly found in Senegal, while the Government of Canada names children among those at higher risk — small children go over to say hello and are least likely to mention a scratch afterwards. Both are easier explained at home than at the water’s edge.
This is the question to bring us first, and it is not one to settle by reading a page. The Government of Canada states that Zika virus is a risk in Senegal and that it can cause serious birth defects; CDC lists Zika for Senegal and records that it spreads by mosquito bite and that an infected pregnant woman can spread it to her unborn baby. There is no vaccine and no medicine that prevents it, and the mosquitoes that carry it bite in daylight rather than only at night. On top of that, malaria is present in all areas of Senegal and pregnancy changes which tablets can be used. So the honest answer is that it depends on your circumstances and your timing, and it deserves a proper conversation with our pharmacist before anything is booked. Please raise it at the start of the appointment.
The vaccine is recommended for everyone; the certificate is required only by your route. Both sources say there is yellow fever risk in Senegal, and CDC recommends the vaccine for all travellers aged nine months and over. The entry requirement is narrower: proof is required if you are arriving from, or have transited an airport in, a country where yellow fever occurs, and is not required for travellers arriving directly from a country without risk. A Calgary–Europe–Dakar itinerary is not caught by that clause; a route that hops around the region can be, and a stopover you think of as just changing planes still counts. Bring the whole ticket. The certificate becomes valid ten days after the dose, and yellow fever vaccine is only given at designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres — we are one, so it and the certificate are done here in the same visit as the rest.
Yes. CDC records malaria transmission in all areas of Senegal and does not carve Dakar out, which catches people who assume a capital city sits outside the risk area. The Government of Canada says antimalarial medication is recommended for most travellers here. Chloroquine resistance is present, so the options are atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine or tafenoquine, and choosing between them depends on your dates, your other medicines, whether pregnancy is a consideration and how much sun you will be in. Tell us the route and we will pick one with you.
Very likely, and it is the item most often missed. CDC states that poliovirus has been identified in Senegal in the past year and that travellers to Senegal are at increased risk of exposure to poliovirus. The Government of Canada records circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus 2 as present in the country. If you completed the childhood series, CDC describes a single lifetime booster dose of inactivated polio vaccine for adults, and the Government of Canada recommends one adult booster. If your childhood record is incomplete or unknown, CDC advises a full series before travel, which needs more time — so raise it early. Bring whatever record you have: Alberta records we can often look up, records from another province or country we cannot.
It does. CDC recommends typhoid vaccination for most travellers to Senegal and names two groups specifically: those staying with friends or relatives, and those visiting smaller cities or rural areas. The Government of Canada takes a lighter view of typhoid risk overall, and we will show you both rather than pick quietly — but a family stay is exactly the situation CDC is describing, because you are eating from the same kitchen and market and drinking what the household drinks rather than a hotel’s version of it. Family trips also tend to run longer and to include travel out of Dakar, which pushes malaria precautions and bite prevention up rather than down. Say it is a family visit when you book; it changes the recommendation, not the price.
In chlorinated pools, freely. In fresh water, no — schistosomiasis is present in lakes, rivers and ponds, there is no vaccine and no preventive medicine, so staying out is the whole strategy. The sea is a different problem and worth taking seriously: the Government of Canada says coastal waters can be dangerous even for experienced swimmers, riptides are common, several drownings occur each year, beaches are generally unsupervised, and there is no system to warn of unsafe conditions. So swim where other people are swimming, never alone, and ask locally before you get in.
Three habits, and between them they cover the lot. First, do not get bitten by mosquitoes in the daytime — that is Zika, dengue and chikungunya, and it means repellent from the morning rather than from sundown. Second, do not get bitten by ticks — long trousers with socks over the cuffs in grass and bush, permethrin-treated clothing if you will be out in vegetation, and a tick check at the end of the day; CDC names African tick-bite fever and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever for Senegal, though the Government of Canada’s Senegal page does not, and we would rather you knew the sources differ. Third, keep away from livestock and from untreated fresh water — that covers Rift Valley fever and schistosomiasis. None of it is complicated. It just has to be done from day one rather than remembered on day four.
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. We are in Sunpark Plaza in south Calgary, and in Alberta a pharmacist can assess you, prescribe and vaccinate in the same visit, so there is no doctor’s referral to arrange first.
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 Senegal, 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.
