What are the required (and recommended) vaccinations for China in 2024? Whether you’re taking a short trip to China or you’re planning to move there as an expat, it’s helpful to know what China vaccinations are recommended to keep you safe and healthy. Here’s a quick breakdown of all you need to know.
Regarding Coronavirus
As of 2024, China no longer has compulsory vaccination requirements related to COVID-19. We will detail all other vaccination requirements here, but you can find more information on our coronavirus page for China travelers.
Before we dive into these recommended vaccinations for China, I strongly suggest that you consult your doctor at least 6 weeks prior to your trip to get professional medical advice.
What I’m about to share with you is based upon recommendations from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but should only be used in consultation with a licensed medical doctor.
For an up-to-date list of the recommended vaccines for your visit to China, visit the CDC website here.
This article on vaccines for China was first published as a chapter in the best-selling book Travel to China | Everything You Need to Know Before You Go.
For even more great tips and answers to travel questions, make sure to buy a copy. Available on Amazon as both an ebook and paper back.
For visitors and tourist, China does not require any particular vaccines unless you are arriving from a country that has a high risk of yellow fever.
If you are traveling through or are a citizen of one of these countries with yellow fever risk, which are all located in Africa, Central & South America, you’ll likely already have a Yellow Fever vaccination anyway.
At no point during the China visa process will you be asked for proof of immunization for anything, including Covid-19.
The China vaccinations you choose are entirely voluntary and although many of us were immunized as children, the schedules have changed over time so it’s worth comparing what you have versus what is now recommended.
Although China’s borders were closed to foreigners for a couple years during COVID, things opened back up in 2023 and have since returned mostly to normal for travelers. In fact, China is eager to entice travelers to return to the country and have signed a number of bilateral agreements between countries to make it easier to enter the country.
Thankfully, this means that there are no more requirements for any kind of COVID vaccine nor are there any quarantine requirements upon entry.
It’s important to note, however, that China reacts quickly to cases of COVID within their borders, so if you’re willing and interested, having a COVID-19 vaccination is not a bad thing before entering the country.
It makes a difference where you’re traveling in China and how long you’ll be there.
The Centers for Disease Control and most doctors recommend a wide range of vaccinations for China based on your length of stay and where exactly you’ll be headed to.
If you never plan to leave the major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong, routine immunizations usually cover you well. This is true whether you’re traveling as a tourist or living in the city as an expatriate.
These routine immunizations include:
For those travelers who have plans to travel outside the major cities but won’t be in the country for very long, the CDC recommends you consider the following vaccinations for China:
Finally, if you plan to venture into rural areas of China or hope to stay for a month or longer, the CDC recommends you discuss the following immunizations with your doctor:
Now if you’re like me, you look at this list and your head starts spinning…
…don’t worry!
Most of us have all the required immunizations we need for short-term travel around China.
There are, however, one or two you want to add just for the sake of precaution, particularly if you’ll be visiting rural areas or doing a lot of outdoor activities.
The bottom line is that you need to ask your personal physician what they think about recommended vaccinations for China. Schedule an appointment at least 6 weeks in advance of your trip so that you have plenty of time to add any immunizations you don’t have.
Also, while a list like this shouldn’t scare you, it should make you consider the need for good travel health insurance while you’re in China.
The risks are low, but if something ever happens (as I’ve seen it happen before), it’s one of those things you’ll be grateful you had.
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