Travel vaccinations for Ghana: mandatory yellow fever, recommendations and malaria

Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for Ghana: everyone aged nine months and over must show proof on entry, even when flying in directly from Germany. The German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) also recommends hepatitis A and polio. Malaria is transmitted all year with a high risk throughout the country, including the cities. Which other vaccinations make sense depends on how long you stay, how you travel and how much contact you have with the local population.

Entry rules: yellow fever vaccination is required

Ghana is one of the countries that ask every arriving traveller for proof of yellow fever vaccination. According to the Foreign Office, the rule applies to everyone aged nine months and over, whatever country they are travelling from. The WHO also lists Ghana as a country with risk of yellow fever transmission, so the vaccination is more than a formality: the Foreign Office describes a high risk of infection all year throughout the country, cities included.

In Germany, yellow fever vaccination is only given at approved yellow fever vaccination centres. The entry in your International Certificate of Vaccination becomes valid ten days after vaccination and, under the International Health Regulations, remains valid for life. Whether a further dose makes sense for you, for example because your first vaccination was a long time ago, is something your doctor will assess. Our guide to yellow fever vaccination explains the background.

After a stay in Ghana, many countries treat you as arriving from a yellow fever area. South Africa, for example, will then ask for proof. Give your doctor the full list of countries in the order you will visit them.

Recommended vaccinations according to the Foreign Office

The table at the top of this page summarises the recommendations:

• All travellers: hepatitis A and polio. Polio (cVDPV2) has been detected in Ghana, so the Foreign Office advises complete protection. Your practice will check your vaccination record to see whether a booster is due.
• Based on individual risk: dengue, hepatitis B, meningococcal ACWY, rabies and typhoid.
• Cholera: usually not needed. Advice is worthwhile if you will work for longer periods in cholera epidemic areas, for example in healthcare or disaster relief.
• Routine vaccinations: keep up to date with the STIKO schedule, the official German vaccination calendar. Because of repeated outbreaks, the Foreign Office specifically highlights protection against measles.

According to the Foreign Office, meningococcal disease and Lassa fever peak in the dry season from December to April. If you travel during these months or will have close contact with local people, ask specifically about meningococcal vaccination. Rabies is transmitted in Ghana by dogs, monkeys and fruit bats, and vaccines and immunoglobulins are not available or only to a very limited extent. If you expect contact with animals, read our guide to rabies when travelling. STIKO only recommends dengue vaccination for people aged four and over who have had a laboratory-confirmed dengue infection in the past.

Malaria, dengue and other insect-borne risks

According to the Foreign Office and the DTG, Ghana has a high malaria risk all year throughout the country, including Accra and the other cities. More than 99 per cent of cases are the dangerous falciparum form. In high-risk areas the Foreign Office considers preventive medication useful in addition to mosquito protection; which option suits you is a decision for you and your doctor. Our guide to malaria prevention covers the basics.

The Foreign Office also lists dengue, leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis and West Nile fever as occurring nationwide all year, and chikungunya and Zika are likely too. Protect yourself throughout the day: wear long, light clothing, apply repellent regularly and sleep under a bed net. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, raise Zika during your consultation. In rural areas, ticks transmit Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, so check your body carefully after time outdoors.

Always take a fever seriously during or after your trip, even weeks after you return. Tell your doctor that you have been to Ghana so that malaria can be ruled out quickly.

What depends on your type of trip

Hygiene, water and animals

According to the Foreign Office, travellers’ diarrhoea and shigellosis are common, and hepatitis A and E and typhoid also affect travellers. Drink only water from a safe source and take care with food and hand hygiene. Do not swim in lakes or rivers, as schistosomiasis can be transmitted after even brief contact with fresh water. Avoid stagnant or slow-flowing water that may be contaminated with rodent urine, and do not eat bushmeat or meat of unknown origin.

If you are bitten or scratched by a dog, monkey or fruit bat, wash the wound with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical help immediately. The Foreign Office notes that antivenoms are only available to a limited extent. For longer stays it advises careful food choices because of heavy metal contamination from illegal gold mining; tourist visits and short stays usually pose no risk.

Medical care in Ghana

The Foreign Office describes medical care as not comparable with Germany. Qualified staff are often lacking outside the major centres. Emergency and basic care is available at the large state hospitals and a number of private clinics. Pharmacies stock the most important standard medicines, but counterfeits occur. Take a travel health kit and your regular medication with you, and make sure your travel health insurance covers medical evacuation.

Timing: when to see a travel health specialist

Allow several weeks for your consultation so that your yellow fever certificate is valid when you arrive. Following STIKO and DTG, travel vaccinations should be completed at least two weeks before departure. The travel vaccine check gives you a first overview, and our directory of travel clinics helps you find a yellow fever centre or travel health practice in Germany. Statutory health insurance does not have to cover vaccinations for private trips, but some insurers pay for them voluntarily; see travel vaccination costs.