What vaccines do I need for Malaysia?

Required: Yellow Fever (required if arriving from a yellow fever endemic country). Recommended by the CDC: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Japanese Encephalitis (rural travel, Sarawak, Sabah), Rabies (Sabah and Sarawak, outdoor travel).

Is tap water safe to drink in Malaysia?

Tap water is generally safe in Malaysia, though bottled water is advisable in rural areas.

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Southeast Asia

Malaysia Travel Health

Reviewed by Alexander Webber, Chief Epidemiologist · Updated 2026-08

Malaysia encompasses the Malay Peninsula including Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak. Health risks vary considerably — urban Peninsular Malaysia is relatively low-risk, while Sabah and Sarawak carry malaria, dengue, and emerging zoonotic risks. Healthcare is among the best in Southeast Asia.

Food Safety: Moderate Risk Tap Water: Safe Malaria Risk Present

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Vaccines for Malaysia

Required for Entry

Yellow Fever (required if arriving from a yellow fever endemic country)

CDC Recommended

Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Typhoid
Japanese Encephalitis (rural travel, Sarawak, Sabah)
Rabies (Sabah and Sarawak, outdoor travel)

Source: CDC Travelers' Health — Malaysia

Malaria Risk

Very low in Peninsular Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi). Moderate risk in forested and rural areas of Sabah and Sarawak — Plasmodium knowlesi (monkey malaria transmissible to humans) is the predominant species in Borneo.

Food and Water Safety

Moderate Risk Tap water: safe

Malaysia has relatively good food hygiene standards, especially at hawker centres and restaurants with food safety ratings. Avoid raw shellfish and unpeeled fruit at lower-end stalls. Tap water is treated in urban areas but bottled water is widely preferred.

Key Health Tips for Malaysia

Dengue is the primary mosquito-borne risk across all of Malaysia — use repellent daily, especially in urban and suburban areas.
If visiting Sabah or Sarawak rainforest areas, malaria prophylaxis is recommended — consult a travel medicine specialist about P. knowlesi.
Avoid contact with bats and don't consume raw date palm sap due to Nipah virus risk.
Leptospirosis risk is elevated during and after flooding — avoid wading in floodwaters.

Disease Risks in Malaysia

Official Resources

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