As for health, Vietnam has a limited good healthcare system. Both medical facilities and supplies are limited outside of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. You can find better services in private clinics and hospitals, but they can be quite expensive. 

Additionally, medical evacuation is very expensive. Your travel insurance should cover the expenses in case you may need to go to neighboring countries to treat some illnesses or injuries. These are some of the reasons you should get travel insurance. 

Before you travel to Vietnam, you should be up-to-date with recommended vaccines like measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), hepatitis A and B and Influenza. The only mandatory vaccine is yellow fever, if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is endemic. For more information on vaccines, you can read our Vietnam travel requirements section.

Another thing to watch out for is illnesses caused by eating food or drinking beverages. You should always cook, boil and peel what you are going to eat and avoid inhaling or swallowing water while bathing, showering, or swimming in pools or hot tubs. These germs, viruses, etc. can cause travelers’ diarrhea, the most common illness within travelers. The most important treatment for travelers’ diarrhea is rehydration. 

Various illnesses can be transmitted through bites from infected insects, including mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, or flies. To safeguard against these risks, it is advisable to consistently carry insect repellent, don light-colored, loose clothing crafted from tightly woven materials like nylon or polyester, reduce exposure to insects, and employ mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors.

In Vietnam, there is a risk of chikungunya and dengue (there is no vaccine available), diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. The risk of these two diseases varies across regions and seasons.

In Vietnam, there are infections like rabies and influenza. Therefore, we recommend avoiding any contact with animals (including dogs, livestock, monkeys, etc.), traveling to rural areas and visiting wet markets.