Travel health ยท Zimbabwe
Same waterfall as Zambia, different advice on almost everything else โ and a country where the official warning is that prescription medicine is in short supply, so what you bring matters as much as what you are given.
The short version
Most travellers to Zimbabwe need 4 vaccines, and four to six 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 Zimbabwe.
Not a vaccine, and the first thing on this page for a reason. The Government of Canada states there is a significant shortage of prescription medication in Zimbabwe, that you will likely have to pay cash up front to obtain medical services, and that power outages, food and fuel shortages are all common. It asks travellers to bring sufficient quantities, keep everything in the original container, pack it in carry-on luggage and carry a copy of their prescriptions โ and says you are responsible for checking that what you carry is legal there.
Come in early enough that we can arrange an extended travel supply and, where it helps, a printed prescription list to carry.
Food and water, and both sources agree without qualification: CDC recommends it for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and over going to Zimbabwe, and says infants aged six to eleven months should also be vaccinated. The Government of Canada recommends it 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.
Note the wording, because CDC states it more strongly here than for several neighbours: recommended for unvaccinated travellers of ALL ages travelling to Zimbabwe, not only those under 60. The Government of Canada recommends it for all travellers. This is the vaccine that matters most when medical care is unplanned โ and the Government of Canada says good health care is limited and quality varies greatly across the country.
The standard course runs over months. Faster schedules exist โ bring your dates.
CDC asks every traveller to be current before every trip and asks all international travellers to be fully vaccinated against measles. The Government of Canada adds a specific ask for Zimbabwe that its Zambia page does not carry: it records the country as no longer poliovirus-infected but previously infected within the last 24 months, and recommends one booster dose of polio vaccine as an adult.
Tetanus if it has been more than ten years. The polio booster at the same visit โ both are quick.
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 Zimbabwe. 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 Zimbabwe, and adds that infants aged six to eleven months should also be vaccinated. The Government of Canada recommends it for all travellers to areas where hepatitis A is present.
CDC recommends hepatitis B vaccine for unvaccinated travellers of all ages travelling to Zimbabwe โ a stronger wording than the under-60 phrasing it uses for several neighbouring countries. The Government of Canada recommends it for all travellers. Spread through blood and bodily fluids, which in practice means unplanned medical or dental care, tattoos, piercings and injuries. It matters here because the Government of Canada says good health care is limited and quality varies greatly across the country.
CDC asks travellers to be up to date on routine vaccines before every trip โ chickenpox, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, flu, MMR, polio, shingles โ and asks all international travellers to be fully vaccinated against measles. The Government of Canada records Zimbabwe as no longer poliovirus-infected but previously infected within the last 24 months, and recommends one booster dose of polio vaccine as an adult. For most Canadian adults that is a real dose rather than a records check.
CDC recommends it for most travellers to Zimbabwe, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities and rural areas. The Government of Canadaโs Zimbabwe advice does not include a typhoid section, which is an absence rather than a disagreement โ we show you that rather than filling the gap ourselves. Injection or oral capsules; the capsules take a week to finish.
Read this one carefully. CDC states dogs infected with rabies are commonly found in Zimbabwe and rabies is present in some terrestrial wildlife, and currently carries an alert that counterfeit ABHAYRAB human rabies vaccine is circulating in the country โ a product it warns may not be effective and could contain harmful ingredients. On availability the sources conflict: CDC says rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country; the Government of Canada says treatment may be limited or may not be available. That uncertainty is itself the argument for discussing pre-exposure vaccination before you go, particularly for longer stays, rural itineraries, cyclists, runners and anyone travelling with children.
CDC advises all eligible travellers to be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.
CDC says vaccination may be considered for children and adults travelling to areas of active cholera transmission and, for Zimbabwe, names Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and the Midlands, with the most recent cases in the past three to twelve months. It also states plainly that cholera is rare in travellers. The Government of Canada says cholera is a risk in parts of the country and that most travellers are at very low risk. Food, water and handwashing do most of the work here.
Both sources say the vaccine is not recommended for travel to Zimbabwe itself. It returns only as an entry rule based on where you are arriving from: CDC records it as required from nine months of age for travellers coming from a country with risk of yellow fever virus transmission, including airport transits or layovers longer than twelve hours, and the Government of Canada requires proof from anyone coming from or transiting an airport of a country where yellow fever occurs. If Zimbabwe is one leg of a wider African trip, bring the whole route with flight times. Should it apply, the certificate becomes valid ten days after the dose and we are a designated centre, so it can be done here.
CDC recommends mpox vaccination for travellers who anticipate sex with a new partner, sex at a commercial sex venue, sex in exchange for money or goods, or sex in association with a large public event.
The Government of Canada states there is a risk of chikungunya in Zimbabwe. CDCโs Zimbabwe page names dengue among the insect-borne illnesses but does not carry a chikungunya vaccination recommendation for this destination. Mosquito precautions cover both regardless.
Honest about the risks, and specific about what prevents each one.
The Government of Canada states there is a significant shortage of prescription medication in Zimbabwe, that you will likely have to provide upfront payment in cash for medical services, and that power outages, food and fuel shortages are common. It asks travellers to bring sufficient quantities of their own medication, keep it in the original container, pack it in carry-on luggage and carry a copy of their prescriptions, while noting you are responsible for checking that what you carry is legal there.
Prevention Bring more than the trip strictly needs. Original labelled packaging, in hand luggage, with a printed prescription list. Ask us about an extended travel supply, and about a plan for anything that has to stay refrigerated.
CDC says rabid dogs are commonly found in Zimbabwe and carries an alert about counterfeit ABHAYRAB human rabies vaccine circulating there โ a product that may not be effective and could contain harmful ingredients. CDC says rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country; the Government of Canada says treatment may be limited or may not be available. Both agree the disease is present in dogs and some wildlife, including bats.
Prevention Do not touch or feed animals you do not know, and set that rule with children before you land. Any bite, scratch or lick on broken skin: wash for fifteen minutes with soap and running water and seek medical advice the same day. Discuss pre-exposure vaccination with us before you fly โ it changes what you need to find afterwards.
CDC lists transmission areas for Zimbabwe as all, with chloroquine resistance and P. falciparum as the main parasite. The Government of Canada is looser, describing risk in certain areas or at certain times of year, with medication recommended depending on itinerary and season. The two do not line up, so the decision belongs to your specific route and dates.
Prevention Bring dates and place names so we can read both sources against your actual trip. Where tablets are indicated, take them properly and finish the course after you get home. Repellent, long sleeves at dusk and a treated net either way.
The Government of Canada describes road conditions and road safety as poor throughout the country, with most roads lacking street lights and potholes causing many accidents. It says drivers are reckless and do not respect traffic laws, advises against driving after dark, and notes security forces may erect roadblocks anywhere without notice.
Prevention No driving after dark. A driver from your lodge or operator on long transfers. Seatbelts, including in the back, and slow down for a roadblock rather than being surprised by one.
The Government of Canada says wildlife viewing can be risky, particularly if you are on foot or at close range โ which describes exactly the walking safaris and canoe trips Zimbabwe is known for. It also names Victoria Falls and the Honde Valley waterfalls among the tourist sites where particular caution is warranted because of crime.
Prevention Only walk with a licensed guide. Keep the distance you are told to keep, even for a photograph. At the Falls and other busy sites, treat valuables the way you would in any crowded place.
Both sources warn about schistosomiasis. The Government of Canada describes it as a risk found in fresh water โ lakes, rivers, ponds and wetlands โ and CDC describes transmission through wading, swimming, bathing or washing in contaminated fresh water, adding a plain instruction to avoid swimming in fresh, unchlorinated water. There is no vaccine and no preventive medication. Neither source names Lake Kariba or any other particular water, so we will not clear one either.
Prevention Treat all untreated fresh water as the same category, because that is how the guidance is written. Chlorinated pools are fine. If a swim or a water activity is part of a booked trip, raise it with us before you go.
CDC names dengue, African sleeping sickness, African tick-bite fever, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Rift Valley fever, Marburg virus disease, leptospirosis, hantavirus and tuberculosis among what travellers to Zimbabwe may encounter. The Government of Canada calls dengue risk sporadic here and names chikungunya as a risk. African sleeping sickness is carried by tsetse flies, which is one reason repellent matters during the day and not only at dusk.
Prevention Repellent through the day, reapplied. Long trousers and closed shoes in bush and long grass, with a tick check after a walking day. Permethrin-treated clothing for camping and walking safaris. No unpasteurised milk.
The Government of Canada says you will likely need medical evacuation in the event of serious illness or injury, that good health care is limited and quality varies greatly, and that upfront cash payment is likely to be required. It asks travellers to hold insurance covering medical evacuation and hospital stays.
Prevention Insurance that names evacuation, bought before departure, with the policy number saved offline. Understand whether it pays a clinic directly or reimburses you later. Carry enough cash for the difference, and ask your camp what their own arrangement is.
Prevented with tablets rather than a vaccine, and only needed for some routes โ which is why the answer depends on your itinerary.
The two sources do not agree, so here is each. CDC lists malaria transmission areas for Zimbabwe as ALL of the country, with no altitude, city or seasonal exception written into the guidance. The Government of Canada says there is a risk of malaria in certain areas and/or during a certain time of year, and does not name which areas or which season. That gap is why a Zimbabwe itinerary genuinely needs reading rather than a country-level answer. Because the Government of Canada does not name the areas or the season it has in mind, we will not invent them for it โ we work from CDCโs firmer position and your actual route.
Chloroquine resistance is present and P. falciparum is the main parasite, with P. malariae, P. ovale and P. vivax less common, so CDC lists atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine. The Government of Canada says antimalarial medication may be recommended depending on your itinerary and the time of year. Bring dates and place names and a pharmacist will weigh both sources against your route, your other medicines and how much time you spend outdoors at dusk.
The things that prevent most travel illness are not medical.
If you have booked Victoria Falls you have almost certainly booked both sides of it, and the guidance does not match across the bridge. The Government of Canada asks for a high degree of caution in Zimbabwe because of crime โ a step above the normal security precautions it advises for Zambia โ and names Victoria Falls itself among the tourist sites where particular caution is warranted. It recommends an adult polio booster for Zimbabwe and does not for Zambia. Its malaria wording is looser for Zimbabwe, saying risk exists in certain areas or at certain times of year, where for Zambia it says medication is recommended for most travellers. CDC sets the yellow fever entry requirement at nine months of age for Zimbabwe and one year for Zambia. And CDC recommends hepatitis B for travellers of all ages going to Zimbabwe, while using its usual under-60 wording for Zambia. None of that is a contradiction โ they are two countries โ but it does mean that reading one page and assuming the other is how people arrive under-prepared. Bring both halves of the itinerary and we will build one plan.
This is the most unusual thing on this page and we are not going to soften it. CDC currently carries an alert that counterfeit ABHAYRAB human rabies vaccine is circulating in Zimbabwe, warning that the counterfeit product may not be effective and could contain harmful ingredients. The Government of Canada reports the same circulation. Then the two sources part company on something that matters enormously: CDC states rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country, while the Government of Canada states that in Zimbabwe rabies treatment may be limited or may not be available. We cannot reconcile those and we are not going to pretend we can โ so you should see both. What both agree on is that rabies is present and carried by dogs, with CDC adding that rabid dogs are commonly found in Zimbabwe and that the virus is present in some terrestrial wildlife. The practical conclusion is uncomfortable but clear: this is a destination where the case for having the conversation about pre-exposure rabies vaccination BEFORE you fly is stronger than usual, precisely because what you would be relying on afterwards is uncertain. Pre-exposure vaccine still does not remove the need for treatment after a bite โ it reduces what you have to find, and how fast.
Here the two sources are not describing the same country. CDC lists malaria transmission areas for Zimbabwe as all, with chloroquine resistance, P. falciparum as the main parasite and P. malariae, P. ovale and P. vivax occurring less commonly, and lists atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine as the options. The Government of Canada says there is a risk of malaria in certain areas and/or during a certain time of year, and that antimalarial medication may be recommended depending on your itinerary and the time of year you are travelling โ without naming areas, seasons or altitudes. That is a real gap, and averaging it would be dishonest. Since the Government of Canada does not say which areas or which season it means, we are not going to guess on its behalf โ what a pharmacist can do is read the firmer CDC position against your actual route and dates and tell you where the caution falls. Bring place names, not just a country.
The Government of Canada is unusually direct about Zimbabweโs health system. Good health care is limited and quality of care varies greatly throughout the country. You will likely need medical evacuation in the event of serious illness or injury. You will likely have to provide upfront payment in cash to obtain medical services. There is a significant shortage of prescription medication, power outages are common, and food and fuel shortages also occur. Read those together and the implications are practical rather than clinical. Buy travel insurance that names medical evacuation and hospital stays, and know how it pays โ a policy that reimburses later is not the same as one that pays a clinic now. Carry enough cash to not be stuck. Bring all of your own medicine, in original containers, in hand luggage, with a copy of your prescriptions. And if anything you take must stay cold, tell us before you travel, because a hotel fridge is only as good as the power supply.
Both sources agree on the destination itself, which is rare enough to be worth stating plainly: CDC says the yellow fever vaccine is not recommended for travel to Zimbabwe, and the Government of Canada says vaccination is not recommended. So a Calgary-to-Harare or Calgary-to-Victoria-Falls trip does not need it on health grounds. The requirement is about routing. CDC records the vaccine as required from nine months of age for travellers arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever virus transmission, and specifically counts airport transits or layovers of more than twelve hours in such a country. The Government of Canada says proof is required if you are coming from, or have transited through an airport of, a country where yellow fever occurs. That can catch a long connection through an East African hub, and it catches any earlier leg spent in a country where yellow fever occurs โ which is why a Zimbabwe trip bolted onto an East African safari is a different question from a Zimbabwe trip on its own. If your routing does turn out to need it, we are a designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre and can give the vaccine and issue the certificate here โ but for Zimbabwe alone, the honest answer is that you do not need it.
CDC recommends typhoid vaccination for most travellers to Zimbabwe, especially those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities or rural areas. The Government of Canadaโs Zimbabwe advice does not carry a typhoid section at all โ which is not the same as saying no, and it is not something we should quietly read as agreement either way. Where that leaves you is a judgement call made with a pharmacist rather than off a page: how long you are going, whether you are staying with family, how much of the trip is outside hotels and lodges, and how far you will be from care if you do become ill. Given what the Government of Canada says about the health system here, being ill in Zimbabwe is worth more effort to avoid than being ill in most places.
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.
CDC says rabid dogs are commonly found in Zimbabwe, carries an alert about counterfeit rabies vaccine circulating there, and the Government of Canada says treatment may be limited or unavailable. Children approach animals, are bitten higher on the body, and are the least likely to report a scratch. Given how uncertain the after-the-fact picture is here, this is worth discussing child by child rather than as a family decision.
The Government of Canada notes a significant shortage of prescription medication in Zimbabwe. Bring childrenโs pain and fever relief, an antihistamine, rehydration salts and anything they take regularly, in child doses and in enough quantity โ a feverish child at two in the morning is not the moment to discover a pharmacy has none.
CDC recommends hepatitis A vaccine for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and over going to Zimbabwe and says infants aged six to eleven months should also be vaccinated, with an early measles dose in the same age band before international travel. Those early doses do not count towards the routine childhood schedule and are repeated later.
The Government of Canada says wildlife viewing can be risky, particularly on foot or at close range โ which is exactly what Zimbabweโs walking safaris and canoe trips involve. Ask your operator what they actually allow for the ages travelling with you, and plan the days around the answer rather than hoping on arrival.
No, and this is the thing most people get wrong about the trip. The Government of Canada asks for a high degree of caution in Zimbabwe because of crime, where for Zambia it advises normal security precautions. It recommends an adult polio booster for Zimbabwe and does not for Zambia. Its malaria wording is firmer for Zambia than for Zimbabwe. CDC sets the yellow fever entry age at nine months for Zimbabwe and one year for Zambia, and recommends hepatitis B for all ages going to Zimbabwe rather than its usual under-60 wording. If your trip crosses the bridge โ and most do โ bring both halves of the itinerary to one appointment and we will build a single plan.
CDC currently carries an alert that counterfeit ABHAYRAB human rabies vaccine is circulating in Zimbabwe, warning that the counterfeit product may not be effective and could contain harmful ingredients. The Government of Canada reports the same circulation. On top of that the two sources disagree about availability: CDC says rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of the country, while the Government of Canada says treatment may be limited or may not be available. We cannot reconcile that, so we show you both. What it means practically is that relying on getting sorted out after a bite is less certain here than in most destinations, which strengthens the case for discussing pre-exposure vaccination before you fly โ particularly for longer stays, rural trips, cyclists, runners and families with children.
It depends on your route, and unusually the two sources say different things. CDC lists malaria transmission areas for Zimbabwe as all of the country. The Government of Canada says risk exists in certain areas and/or at certain times of year, and that medication may be recommended depending on your itinerary and season โ without naming areas or months. We will not average those. Bring your dates and the places you are actually staying, and a pharmacist will read both against your trip. Where tablets are indicated, chloroquine resistance means the options are atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine or tafenoquine.
Not for Zimbabwe itself โ both CDC and the Government of Canada say the vaccine is not recommended for this destination, which is a clearer agreement than you get on most of this page. It only becomes a question if you arrive from a country where yellow fever occurs: CDC records the requirement from nine months of age, counting airport transits or layovers of more than twelve hours, and the Government of Canada requires proof from anyone coming from or transiting an airport of such a country. A long layover in an East African hub, or an earlier leg spent in a country where yellow fever occurs, are the usual triggers. Send us your flight times with the itinerary and we will tell you whether it applies. If it does, we are a designated centre and can issue the certificate here.
Plan on the answer being no. The Government of Canada states there is a significant shortage of prescription medication in Zimbabwe and asks travellers to bring sufficient quantities with them, in the original container, in carry-on luggage, with a copy of their prescriptions. It also notes you are responsible for determining whether what you carry is legal there. Come and see us a couple of weeks out rather than the day before you fly โ an extended travel supply is usually arrangeable with a little notice, and much harder in a hurry.
The Government of Canada is direct about it: good health care is limited, quality of care varies greatly across the country, you will likely need medical evacuation in the event of serious illness or injury, and you will likely have to provide upfront payment in cash to obtain medical services. So the practical preparation is insurance that specifically names medical evacuation and hospital stays, knowing whether that policy pays a clinic directly or reimburses you afterwards, having the policy number saved offline, and carrying enough cash not to be stuck at the counter.
We will give you the honest answer rather than a comfortable one. Neither CDC nor the Government of Canada names Lake Kariba, or any particular lake or river, in their Zimbabwe guidance. What both say is that schistosomiasis is a risk in the countryโs fresh water โ the Government of Canada names lakes, rivers, ponds and wetlands as a category, and CDC says plainly to avoid swimming in fresh, unchlorinated water. There is no vaccine and no medication to prevent it. So we cannot clear a specific swim, and nobody quoting these sources honestly can. Chlorinated pools are fine.
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.
Bring your travel dates. A pharmacist will go through what you need for Zimbabwe, 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.
