Bali Travel Vaccinations: What Do You Need to Get Before Your Trip

Bali keeps Australian travellers coming back again and again. It’s a Goldilocks destination that just seems to hit that sweet spot in terms of offering an exotic and luxurious getaway at an affordable price, just a few hours' flight from many major Australian cities.

Bali hits the mark whether you’re in the mood for a yoga or wellness retreat, want to do a bit of cultural exploration or maybe get lost in nature, wish to enjoy energetic nightlife, or are looking to book a romantic escape or family-friendly resort.

While Bali may be one of the closest and most convenient international holiday destinations for Australians, it’s important to remember some health risks that are a bit different from those found back here in Australia. Learning about and getting the necessary or recommended vaccinations well in advance should be a priority on your travel preparation checklist. 

Let us walk you through all the essential and recommended vaccinations Australians should consider before heading to Bali. Protecting your health and travel investment with Bali travel vaccinations and comprehensive travel insurance for Bali means you can relax and enjoy your holiday without knowing you’re prepared for avoidable health issues or costly overseas medical treatment.

Why Vaccinations are Important for Your Bali Trip

Taking just a few minutes to roll up your sleeve and get a jab is a small price to pay to better ensure your Bali holiday won’t be hijacked by illness. Bali may offer an exciting adventure, but it also means visiting a destination where you may encounter illnesses that are rare or non‑existent back home here in Australia.

Bali’s tropical climate is home to a number of infections and illnesses that aren’t common in Australia, which means many of us Aussies lack natural immunity and are therefore more vulnerable to getting sick. Common diseases found in Bali include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, and Japanese encephalitis.

Making sure you are properly vaccinated for such illnesses means your immune system will be able to better recognise and fight off specific diseases. By getting the recommended shots before your trip, you greatly reduce your personal risk of falling ill and ruining your holiday. 
As an added bonus, being vaccinated means you’re less likely to pick up a contagious disease as a souvenir and bring it back to pass it on to your family, friends, and wider community in Australia.

Knowing you’re up to date with your vaccinations means you can have better peace of mind knowing the chance of severe illness is far less likely to happen. This means you can focus on enjoying everything on your to-do list without the anxiety of wondering if you’ll end up in a hospital overseas. 

Essential Vaccinations Recommended for Bali Travellers from Australia

Before we get into Bali-specific vaccinations you should get before your trip, we first want to touch on the importance of staying up to date with routine vaccinations you should get as a traveller. 

Travel means coming into contact with larger crowds and with people from all around the world. It also often means being exposed to situations where sanitation or hygiene may be compromised. This sadly increases your risk of exposure to various circulating worldwide diseases; however, many are preventable with common vaccinations. 

Be sure to speak with your local GP or a travel health clinic about what routine vaccinations you may need or want to think about getting before you begin your travels. The following vaccinations are often recommended for travellers. 

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)

These are all quite contagious viral infections that can spread quickly through close contact with infected people in crowded places such as airports, on planes and buses, and in tourist hotspots.

Exposure to other international travellers increases the chance of encountering someone carrying the virus, and measles outbreaks have occurred in numerous popular travel destinations, including Bali.  

It pays to ensure you’ve been fully immunised since illness from these infections can be severe or life-threatening in some cases.

Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap or dTpa)

Tetanus is caused by bacteria found in contaminated soil, sometimes animal faeces, and often around rusty objects. You can get tetanus when this harmful bacterium enters through a cut or wound, which often occurs during outdoor activities, at the beach, on hikes, or possibly even scooter accidents in Bali. 

The single DTaP or Tdap vaccine is a combination vaccine that protects against multiple diseases with one injection and is available for both children and adults. The difference between the two vaccines is that DTaP is generally administered to children under 7, whereas older children and adults are given the Tdap vaccine. 

In addition to protecting against tetanus, the combination vaccine also protects against diphtheria and pertussis, serious bacterial infections that affect the respiratory system and are spread through coughing and sneezing. Babies under 6 months are especially susceptible to pertussis, which is more commonly referred to as whooping cough in Australia. 

Polio

While Australia may be polio-free and Bali is low-risk for polio, the virus still exists in parts of Asia and Africa. This highly contagious viral disease spreads via contaminated food and water or person-to-person contact, sometimes leading to paralysis or death.

Travel destinations with poor sanitation can expose you to the virus, especially if you're eating local food or staying in more remote, off-the-beaten-path locations. Travellers who aren’t immune could risk reintroducing it to polio-free areas. If you’ve been vaccinated as a child as part of the National Immunisation Program, you may not need a booster unless travelling to high-risk regions. Speak to your doctor if you are unsure. 

Influenza

Most of us have had experience with the flu, and it’s never any fun. The flu is easily spread and can knock you flat for days, which isn’t ideal if you’re trying to enjoy a holiday. Airports, aeroplanes, tour buses, and resorts are prime environments for flu transmission. It’s always recommended that you get your flu shot if you're travelling during flu season in Australia, which typically runs from April to October. 

Highly Recommended Travel Vaccinations for Bali

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is quite common in Bali and can come about through contaminated food or water. Thankfully, a single vaccination can offer you protection for several years, with additional boosters potentially providing lifelong immunity. 

Consuming raw or undercooked shellfish from contaminated water increases your risk of getting this highly contagious liver infection. Symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite, may appear 2 to 6 weeks after exposure and can take weeks to months to fully recover. 

Hepatitis B

Meanwhile, Hepatitis B is spread through blood or bodily fluids, but serious illness can be avoided by getting a series of three injections spaced out over 6 months. The hepatitis B vaccine is highly effective and part of routine childhood immunisation in Australia. 

This virus is more common in Bali and across Indonesia, and vaccination is especially important if you plan on getting a tattoo in Bali or are unfortunate and require unforeseen medical or dental treatment while on holiday in Bali. 

Typhoid Fever

Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection that is spread through contaminated food and water, where sanitation and hygiene standards are not up to the strict standards like they are in Australia. 

Things to avoid include eating questionable street food, raw salads, unpeeled fruits, and ice potentially sourced from contaminated water.  Thankfully, there is also a vaccination that comes in two forms, including a single injection that can last up to 3 years or taking a series of oral capsules that can last up to 5 years. 

We should note that although the typhoid fever vaccine can drastically reduce your chances of serious illness, it is not 100% effective. Therefore, always maintain proper food and drink safety measures while travelling. 

Other Vaccinations to Consider for Bali

There are a few more, less common but potentially serious diseases to consider getting vaccinated for. Discuss your travel plans and activities in Bali with your doctor to see if they advise any of the following vaccinations. 

Rabies

While a bit rarer, rabies is another concern in Bali and can be contracted from a bite or scratch from stray dogs, cats, or the wild monkeys that roam around Bali. Monkeys have been known to bite tourists visiting places like Monkey Forest in Ubud, although you are much more likely to contract rabies from stray dogs. 

Longer trips to Bali, holidays where you will be possibly staying in rural villages, or when you think you’ll be in close contact with animals are all scenarios where you may want to get a rabies vaccine. 

Keep in mind that even if you are vaccinated, you should seek medical care if you are bitten by an animal, since you will still require treatment if you get rabies. However, the treatment process is greatly simplified, and your chances of a quicker and fuller recovery are greatly improved when vaccinated. 

Japanese Encephalitis

There may also be higher-risk areas for Japanese Encephalitis in and around Bali, which is spread by mosquitoes, especially during the wet season, which runs from November to April and in more rural or rice-farming areas. Consider getting vaccinated for longer stays, and if you plan on doing a lot of hiking or outdoor activities during the rainy months. 

Cholera

While vaccination for cholera is not regularly recommended for most travellers to Bali, it may be advised if you plan to visit areas with very poor sanitation or you have underlying health issues. It becomes more of a concern with travellers who may be travelling to areas as part of a humanitarian or disaster-relief trip. 

Understanding and Preventing Malaria and Dengue Fever Risks in Bali

Two more mosquito-borne illnesses worth discussing are malaria and dengue fever. On the plus side, the risk for both is relatively low for Australian travellers in Bali, but you should still take precautions since there are no vaccines for either available in Australia.

Malaria

Malaria is caused by a parasite that finds its way into humans by way of mozzies.  While you can plan to take antimalarial tablets, they aren’t typically recommended for travel to Bali, especially if you only plan to visit popular areas like Ubud, Seminyak, Kuta, or Nusa Dua.

If you decide to forego taking tablets, you should at least make use of insect repellent, wear long-sleeve shirts and pants during the evenings and make use of mosquito nets when available. 

Dengue Fever

Dengue fever risk is also low but of greater concern for travellers since Bali has had outbreaks in recent years, and there is again no vaccine or specific treatment available within Australia. 

This is another mosquito-borne illness that can cause serious complications, so prevention is key. Adhere to the standard tips to avoid mosquito bites, such as using repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and avoiding high-risk areas where mosquitoes may commonly breed. 

Keep in mind that the mosquitoes responsible for dengue fever are commonly active during the daytime, so it is wise to use preventative measures at all times. 

When Should You Get Your Bali Travel Vaccinations?

The first step to getting the essential and recommended vaccinations for Bali is to book a visit to your GP at least 4 to 6 weeks before departure. When it comes to getting vaccines, advance planning is very important since some vaccines, including a few we covered for Bali travel, require multiple doses spaced over a set amount of time to offer full protection. 

Getting vaccinated early gives your body enough time to build immunity and ensures you're fully protected by the time your trip begins. Another added benefit is that it allows you to address any potential side effects that may arise from the vaccines while still in Australia and not during your holiday.

Your doctor will likely take into account your personal health history and specific Bali itinerary to advise which vaccines or preventative measures like anti-malarial medication may be wise for you to get. By planning ahead, you give yourself the best chance to enjoy your trip without last-minute stress or avoidable health risks.

Where to Get Your Bali Travel Vaccinations in Australia

There are no excuses to getting adequately vaccinated for travel since we Aussies are fortunate enough to have access to many travel vaccinations through a variety of providers, including GPs, specialised travel health clinics, and even many popular pharmacies that now offer common travel vaccines and flu shots. 

While your local GP can often arrange routine and travel-specific vaccinations, travel health clinics can often be more useful for detailed advice tailored to your individual travel plans. 

Travel health clinics have doctors who are highly knowledgeable about current global health alerts and vaccine requirements, and these clinics can easily be found by searching online via various websites or simply doing a web search of “travel health clinics near me”. 

Wherever you decide to get vaccinated or receive travel health advice that is tailored to you, it’s again important to book an appointment early so there’s enough time for your GP or clinic doctor to book you in and review your medical history. 

Be sure to mention you want to discuss your upcoming travel to give doctors time to prepare a discussion regarding any additional risks and ensure all vaccinations are administered properly and with plenty of time to spare before your trip.

Key Takeaways for Healthy Bali Travel

• Australians may be exposed to diseases in Bali not common in Australia and often lack natural immunity to various foreign tropical illnesses.
• Being vaccinated brings added peace of mind and a safer holiday experience. Vaccinations not only reduce personal health risks but also prevent the spread of diseases back home.
• Keep up to date with vaccinations for Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio, and the flu. 
• Consider getting vaccinated for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid fever, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, and cholera. You may also want to take precautionary measures or treatment for malaria and dengue fever. 
• Get vaccinated 4–6 weeks before departure, as some vaccines require multiple doses over a period of time. Early planning allows your body to build immunity and manage any side effects.
• You can easily get necessary vaccines via your GP, dedicated travel health clinics, and some pharmacies. Always book an appointment that will focus specifically on your travel plans and travel health while travelling. 
• Even armed with vaccines, unexpected illness or injury can still occur. Comprehensive travel insurance with unlimited overseas medical treatment cover can help guard you against costly overseas medical treatment and provide 24/7 emergency support. 
• Insure&Go offers customisable policies with unlimited overseas medical cover. You can easily head online to get a quote the minute you book your Bali holiday. 

Don't Forget Travel Insurance for Your Bali Trip!

While staying up to date with all the essential and recommended vaccinations is a smart choice and will help you avoid many serious side effects from illnesses while travelling to Bali, it’s just one part of protecting your health abroad.

No matter how much you prepare yourself, the reality is that many unexpected medical situations can still occur, whether it’s from food poisoning, injuries, or side effects from various illnesses. 

Just as vaccinations help lessen the blow from various illnesses, comprehensive travel insurance will greatly reduce the financial impact caused by requiring medical treatment overseas. A comprehensive travel insurance policy armed with unlimited overseas medical cover becomes a lifesaver and a money saver. 
For full details of the benefits, terms and conditions, limits, sub-limits and exclusions that may apply, please refer to the relevant Combined Financial Service Guide and Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).

Travel Insurance not only provides financial help for hospital visits, doctor fees, and emergency care, but also offers 24/7 assistance and added peace of mind if something goes wrong and you or a loved one does need medical care. 

It can help prevent you from being stranded on your own or stressing over how to pay exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses in the event of a health crisis whilst overseas. To be prepared for your Bali adventure, simply get a quote or learn more about Insure&Go’s various travel insurance options. These can be tailored to your specific needs and are designed to keep Australian travellers safe, supported, and experience less stress and anxiety during their trip.

The Bottom Line

Australians travelling to Bali may be exposed to illnesses that are less common at home, so checking in with a GP or travel health clinic before departure is a good idea. While no vaccines are required for entry, several are recommended, including hepatitis A and B, typhoid, and routine immunisations like MMR, Tdap, polio, and influenza. Depending on your travel plans, additional vaccines or preventative measures may also be suggested. 

Booking vaccinations early allows time for your doctor to assess your needs and for any doses to be spaced appropriately. Travel insurance with unlimited overseas medical cover can offer added peace of mind in case unexpected medical issues arise during your trip.