Vaccines for São Tomé and Príncipe: Mandatory and Recommended

What vaccinations do you need for São Tomé and Príncipe? If you fly in via Lisbon, no vaccine is mandatory. The yellow fever vaccine is only required if you arrive from a risk country, or have transited through one. Even so, the usual vaccines for São Tomé and Príncipe recommended for tropical travel, such as hepatitis A and tetanus, are advised, and it is important to plan malaria prevention. The best first step is to book a travel health appointment 4 to 6 weeks before you leave. In this guide we explain what is mandatory, what is recommended and how to look after your health at the destination.

One of the pale sand beaches in the south of São Tomé. Photo: Príncipe Collection

Vaccines for São Tomé and Príncipe: quick summary

• Mandatory, flying in via Lisbon from Europe: none.
• Yellow fever: mandatory only for travellers over 1 year old coming from a risk country, or who have passed through one.
• Recommended: routine vaccinations up to date (tetanus and diphtheria), hepatitis A and hepatitis B; in some cases typhoid and rabies.
• Malaria: present in the country; preventive medication is decided at your travel health appointment.
• When to sort it out: 4 to 6 weeks before your trip.

The doctor at your travel health appointment decides which vaccines are right for you, 4 to 6 weeks before you leave.

Are any vaccines mandatory for São Tomé and Príncipe?

Not if you fly from Lisbon directly to São Tomé, as on all our trips. On arrival, no vaccination record is requested from travellers coming from Portugal.

The situation changes if, before São Tomé, you pass through another African or South American country with a risk of yellow fever, for example on a trip combined with Ghana, Guinea-Bissau or Angola. In that case, bring your International Certificate of Vaccination.

Yellow fever: who needs the vaccine

• It is required for travellers over 1 year old coming from countries with a risk of transmission, including long transits in those countries.
• It is not required for those arriving directly from Portugal.
• Technical stop in Accra: on some days the flight to São Tomé stops in Accra, Ghana, without passengers leaving the plane. Check at your travel health appointment whether it is advisable for you to have the vaccine.
• The vaccine is given once in a lifetime and must be administered at least 10 days before travel, at an authorised yellow fever vaccination centre.

This is what the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs states: the vaccine is no longer mandatory for travellers to São Tomé and Príncipe, except for those coming from African countries or other regions with yellow fever, who must carry the international certificate with the vaccine given more than 10 days earlier (source: Portal das Comunidades, travel advice, in Portuguese). Also check your own government's travel health advice.

Recommended vaccines for São Tomé

• Routine vaccinations up to date: especially tetanus and diphtheria.
• Hepatitis A: transmitted through water and food; one of the most recommended.
• Hepatitis B: many people already have it from routine vaccination.
• Typhoid: for long stays or trips off the usual routes.
• Rabies: in specific cases, for example volunteering or contact with animals.
• Tuberculosis (BCG) and hepatitis B for long stays: advised by the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Only a doctor can tell you which vaccines are right for you, depending on your age, health and type of trip.

Aerial view of Pico Cão Grande above the forest of Obô Natural Park. Photo: Príncipe Collection

Malaria in São Tomé and Príncipe: how to protect yourself

Malaria is present in São Tomé and Príncipe and is the main health precaution to take. There is no vaccine for travellers, but there are two forms of prevention:

• Preventive medication (prophylaxis): prescribed at your travel health appointment. Some medicines are started before departure and continued after you return.
• Avoiding bites: DEET repellent in the late afternoon and at night, long sleeves at dusk, a mosquito net (most eco-lodges have them) and air conditioning or a fan in your room.

If you develop a fever during the trip or in the weeks after you return, see a doctor and tell them you have been to São Tomé and Príncipe.

Travel health appointment: when and where

• When: 4 to 6 weeks before the trip, because some vaccines need time or several doses.
• Where: at a travel clinic, your GP or a pharmacy that offers travel vaccinations; in the UK, the NHS fitfortravel and TravelHealthPro websites list country advice.
• What to bring: your vaccination record and your itinerary, because the advice differs for the city, the south of the island, the forest or Príncipe.

Vaccines for children

Children should have their routine vaccinations up to date. Some antimalarials are not suitable for certain ages or weights, so the appointment is even more important. Babies under 9 months cannot have the yellow fever vaccine. We explain children's documents in São Tomé and Príncipe visa.

Health precautions in São Tomé and Príncipe

• Water: drink bottled water and avoid ice of unknown origin.
• Food: choose hot, freshly cooked food, and fruit you peel yourself.
• Sun: you are on the Equator; use high-factor sunscreen, even when it is cloudy.
• Daytime mosquitoes: there have been dengue outbreaks, transmitted by mosquitoes that bite during the day; use repellent on excursions too.
• Medicines: bring enough of your usual medication and a small first-aid kit; local pharmacies don't stock everything.
• Travel insurance: with medical assistance and repatriation, because healthcare in the country is limited and an evacuation is expensive.

The seafront of São Tomé city, the capital, on Ana Chaves Bay. Photo: Príncipe Collection