India is one of the most rewarding destinations Australians visit — and one of the most demanding from a travel-health point of view. The combination of food and water risks, mosquito-borne disease, animal-related rabies risk and malaria in many regions means India deserves a proper pre-travel consultation rather than a guess.
This guide covers the vaccinations and precautions Australians should consider for India. It is general information only — your personal plan depends on where you are going, how long for, and your health history.
Do you need vaccinations to travel to India?
There are no vaccines required to enter India for most Australians, with one strict exception: if you are arriving from (or have recently transited) a country with yellow fever, India enforces a yellow fever vaccination certificate. The vaccines below are recommended to protect your health.
Recommended vaccinations for India
For almost every traveller
- Hepatitis A — food- and water-borne; recommended for essentially all travellers.
- Typhoid — common across India and recommended even for city-only trips.
- Routine vaccines — tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, MMR (measles) and seasonal influenza should be up to date.
Depending on your trip
- Rabies — India has one of the world’s highest rabies burdens; pre-exposure vaccination is worth serious discussion (see below).
- Hepatitis B — for longer stays, or if tattoos, piercings, medical or dental care, or new sexual partners are possible.
- Japanese encephalitis — considered for stays of a month or more, or rural and agricultural travel in transmission season.
- Chikungunya and mpox — considered for some travellers depending on itinerary and personal circumstances.
- Cholera — occasionally recommended for higher-risk itineraries.
- Dengue — widespread in India, including the cities, and worth discussing depending on your trip and dengue history. A dengue vaccine (Qdenga) is now available at our Bulimba clinic (see our guide to the dengue vaccine); suitability depends on your age, your trip and prior dengue history.
Rabies: a real risk in India
India accounts for a large share of the world’s rabies deaths, mostly from dog bites. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. A pre-exposure vaccine is strongly worth discussing if you will be in rural areas, around animals, cycling, or travelling with children. Even if vaccinated, any bite or scratch needs urgent medical care and wound washing overseas.
Malaria and dengue
Malaria is present in parts of India, but the picture is more regional than many expect. Antimalarial tablets are advised for some itineraries — notably West Bengal and much of the east-central subcontinent, including the cities of Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata — while most other major cities (including New Delhi, Bangalore and the central Agra area around the Taj Mahal), most southern and far northern regions, and northern elevations above 2,000 metres generally do not need them. Whether you need tablets depends on your exact route and season — bring your full travel plan to your consult so it can be assessed properly.
Dengue is widespread, including in cities, and peaks after the monsoon. There is no specific treatment. Mosquito-bite prevention is essential: repellent with DEET or picaridin, long loose clothing, and screened or air-conditioned rooms. Ask a travel doctor whether the dengue vaccine (Qdenga) suits you, and read our guide to the dengue vaccine for who it is recommended for.
Food and water
Travellers’ diarrhoea is extremely common in India. Drink only sealed bottled or boiled water, avoid ice of unknown origin, be cautious with raw salads, unpeeled fruit and street food, and choose busy, high-turnover outlets. Your travel doctor can prescribe a treatment kit to carry with you.
Current health notes
One thing worth knowing at the time of review (September 2026). In Kerala, health authorities reported a cluster of a rare but serious amoebic brain infection linked to untreated fresh water earlier this year. The cluster appears past its peak, but the precautions are simple and worth keeping: avoid swimming or bathing in ponds, lakes and slow-moving rivers in Kerala, particularly around the monsoon, and never use tap water for sinus or nasal rinsing. Raise your route at your consult if Kerala is on it.
When to see a travel doctor
Book your pre-travel consultation 6 to 8 weeks before you fly, since several India vaccines involve more than one dose or need lead time. Even last-minute travellers benefit from a consult.
At Travel Doctors Brisbane in Bulimba, we tailor recommendations to your specific India itinerary, prescribe antimalarials and treatment kits where appropriate, and issue yellow fever certificates if your wider trip needs one. See our India destination health advice, browse our travel health services, and book your consultation.
This article is general information only and was reviewed against our subscription travel health database in October 2026. It does not replace personalised medical advice. Vaccination needs and disease risks change and depend on your itinerary, season, length of stay and health history — always confirm with a travel health professional and Smartraveller before you travel.