Get immunizations at least 4 to 6 weeks before departure. Check with the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) for an updated list of required and recommended vaccinations for Kenya. The CDC recommends typhoid, polio, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and rabies for travelers going to Kenya. Make an appointment with a medical doctor to discuss the recommended immunizations.
Get boosters (if needed) for all routine vaccinations, including chickenpox, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT), influenza, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) and polio.
Consider a yellow fever vaccination. Kenya is in the yellow fever endemic zone; while the risk is lower in the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa, all areas are at risk. Kenya will require a certification of yellow fever vaccination, called an International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever, for all travelers arriving from a country where yellow fever is present. All of Kenya's neighbors (Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania) are in the yellow fever zone.
Speak with a doctor about receiving a meningitis vaccination. The extreme northwest corner of Kenya is in the "Meningitis Belt." The CDC recommends that travelers to this area during the December through June dry season obtain a vaccination for meningococcal disease.
Take malaria prevention medications. All areas in Kenya below 8,202 feet altitude are at risk for malaria except Nairobi. The CDC recommends taking doxycycline, atovaquone/proguanil or mefloquine for malaria prevention for traveling in Kenya. Take the medication according to doctor's instructions and purchase it in the U.S. Malaria prevention medication must be started prior to exposure to risk areas; doxycycline or atovaquone/ proguanil requires 1 to 2 days in advance; mefloquine requires 1 week in advance. Anti-malaria medication must also be continued for up to 4 weeks after leaving a risk area.
Learn insect bite prevention. There are many insect-transmitted diseases in Kenya; these include dengue, filariasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness), leishmaniasis and African trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness). Kenya has also had an outbreak of Rift Valley fever which may also be transmitted through insect bites. Wear protective clothing and a hat, sleep under a net, use insect repellent and remain indoors during peak biting times to reduce the risk of insect bites.
