Is it necessary to get vaccinated to travel to Egypt? What diseases should you pay the most attention to? What minor ailments can appear during the trip? Is it mandatory to have insurance? These are some of the questions we address on this page dedicated to such an important topic as health.
In 2020, the Covid-19 crisis paralyzed tourism globally. However, thanks to efforts and adaptations, Egypt has made progress in its process of reopening to the world.
After facing unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic, it is a pleasure to inform our distinguished community of travelers that the health situation in Egypt has shown remarkable progress. Fortunately, we have transcended the urgency that Covid-19 represented in our territory.
Currently, for those who wish to explore the magic of Egypt, it is no longer required to present PCR tests or any other type of documentation related to the disease to enter.
Egypt’s proximity to other sub-Saharan African countries, the unequal hygiene conditions among the population, and the wild and exotic fauna of certain regions have historically caused some diseases to prevail among the population. Therefore, some vaccinations are recommended for traveling to Egypt, and one of them is mandatory in certain cases. Let’s see it.
Yellow fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, which can cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin), fever, fatigue, muscle pain, and headaches. And in some severe cases, bleeding and death.
However, in Egypt it is very rare, because the mosquitoes that transmit the disease (of the genera Aedes and Haemogogus) are not present in this country. They are present in neighboring countries to the south, such as Sudan.
Therefore, of all the vaccinations for traveling to Egypt that we mention on this page, it is the only one that is mandatory, but only for travelers who come from those countries or when a prolonged stopover has been made at an airport located in them, where the disease is endemic.
It is a respiratory infection that is transmitted from person to person, through close contact with an infected person or sometimes through dairy products. It is a disease present in Egypt, but not nearly as rampant as in other African countries. In relation to it, no it is necessary to get vaccinated to travel to Egypt and in the highly unlikely event of contracting the disease, there are effective drugs for its treatment.
You can take into consideration other vaccinations for traveling to Egypt, in relation to certain diseases documented in the country. But they are not mandatory in any case. In addition, you will already have some of them inoculated, as they are part of the mandatory vaccination schedule in your country of origin, without the need to undergo booster doses.
In any case, we recommend consulting your own medical history and, for informational purposes, we show you these other possible vaccinations for traveling to Egypt , classified as ‘Generally recommended’ and ‘Recommended in special situations’, according to the Spanish Association of Vaccinology:
As can be deduced from what has been explained in the previous section, it is really unlikely to contract the diseases described. And the risk is reduced to practically zero if the indicated measures are taken, such as administering the aforementioned vaccinations for traveling to Egypt. However, there are other milder ailments that are more common if you are not careful and that can negatively affect your trip.
Below we show them, as well as some quick tips to prevent them.
It is perhaps the most common ailment among tourists traveling to Egypt and is usually caused by water or food poisoning. Keep in mind that the change in diet can cause an imbalance in the health status of any person, even when visiting a nearby country with a similar culture. But if we add to that a sudden change in the food to be ingested or in the water to drink, the probabilities of suffering those imbalances increase.
The consequences are usually stomach pain, diarrhea, or vomiting. With rest or stomach antiseptics, those symptoms should be transient and subside, so we recommend carrying medication of this type or acquiring it at a nearby pharmacy. If the symptoms persist after 3 days and/or are accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, it is advisable to visit a specialist to rule out a major problem, such as dysentery.
The main prevention measure is to drink bottled water at all times. It may not always be possible to have a bottle on hand, as you will see that your hydration rate in Egypt will be more frequent than usual. To avoid finding yourself in that situation, it is recommended to carry tap water purifying solutions, despite the fact that in Cairo and other large cities the population does drink tap water normally. And with respect to food, you should assert your instinct, avoiding restaurants and places that do not have acceptable hygiene standards.
If you travel with Egipto Exclusivo, you can rest assured of the latter, as we will take you to local restaurants where hygiene is taken care of to the maximum, as we have been verifying with our own clients for years.
As we explain on the Climate of Egypt page and in the guides for each destination, the temperatures recorded in this country are very high, especially in the warmer months and in the central hours of the day. This is joined by enormous insolation, motivated by the scarce cloudiness typical of the desert and the absence of shaded spaces in archaeological sites.
Therefore, this can produce two adverse effects on health. The first, a heatstroke, which can manifest with dizziness, headache, fatigue, or even vomiting. The second, more serious, is sunstroke, which implies an alteration in the cooling mechanism of the body itself, unable to generate sweat. The latter can lead to a loss of consciousness and should be treated immediately by a specialist.
To prevent both adversities, you must hydrate continuously, more than you usually do in your place of origin. You will also have to cover your head at all times, either with a cap, a hat, a scarf in the Bedouin style, or even a hijab or veil in the case of women. A hand fan can also be useful, an accessory that was already used in Ancient Egypt.
In addition, it is recommended to organize the day in such a way that the central hours of the day are not dedicated to visits in full sun. It is preferable to visit the monuments and archaeological sites outdoors first thing in the morning and also at night, as there are numerous light and color shows in them. From noon and after lunch, it will be better to visit an air-conditioned museum, stay in your vehicle with the air conditioning on, take a dip in the pool or on the beach, or retire to rest, as the local population does.
The incidence of solar rays is very strong in Egypt, as they ‘fall’ very vertically at noon, especially in the south of the country. It should be remembered that, for example, in Aswan the latitude is 24º N. And that puts your skin at serious risk, as it can suffer sunburn if it remains uncovered for a while, however short it may be.
Another related problem is the enormous ultraviolet radiation, which is measured according to the UV index (from 0 to 11). To the southern latitude and the scarce cloudiness is added the reflection capacity of the desert sand, pushing the index upwards. That means that, as a general rule, the risk is almost always ‘very high’ (from 8 to 10) or ‘extremely high’ (above 10) between April and September throughout the country, and practically all year round in the southernmost destinations.
The advice to avoid both problems is to put into practice careful protection. In the case of sunburn, it is essential to apply a cream with a high sun protection factor (factor 50), even on dark skin. In addition, it is preferable to cover the entire body, including the arms with a long sleeve, but one that is made of cotton or a very fine and light fabric.
And to avoid eye damage, always wear sunglasses with a high protection index (index 4), designed to protect the eyes in cases of high ultraviolet radiation and during prolonged exposures. Those sunglasses should also have polarized lenses to block the incidence of horizontal or ‘bounced’ rays on other surfaces, such as sea water or the Nile River.
Many of the species of fauna in Egypt are exotic and non-existent in your place of origin. That usually generates great interest among travelers, but some basic precautions should never be neglected, since they can also pose a threat to health.
Special mention should be made of mosquitoes, common insects in warm and humid places, such as the banks of the Nile River or coastal environments. In general, their bites are annoying and can become infected, but in Egypt they do not lead to more serious diseases, unless the affected person has some type of allergy. The most ‘aggressive’ are the sandflies, on the Mediterranean beaches.
In any case, it should be clarified that, despite its name, there is no incidence of West Nile virus in Egypt, a disease transmitted by insects. In this country it was identified and investigated in the mid-twentieth century and there have been outbreaks in humans in southern Europe, but not in Egypt. And as we indicated in the section dedicated to yellow fever (see ‘Most common diseases and vaccinations for traveling to Egypt‘), also caused by the bite of a mosquito, this disease does not originate in Egypt, but in nearby countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
For all these cases, the main precaution is to apply a good mosquito repellent on the skin or clothing and carry creams for the relief of stings, in the event that these occur.
Finally, we include here the wild animals more for knowledge than for real risk, because unless you enter remote places, you should not have problems in this regard. They highlight their variety of snakes, some of them venomous, such as the famous naja haje (or Cleopatra’s asp), and the mythical Nile crocodile, abundant and sacred in Ancient Egypt but which has now been relegated to the banks of Lake Nasser.
With regard to the medical infrastructure of Egypt, it can be said that private hospitals and health centers have good general conditions, although the price of a treatment or intervention can be expensive. The same cannot be said of public hospitals, which are much more limited when it comes to treating a complex ailment.
Pharmacies, for their part, are usually well stocked with medicines. Their employees are used to attending to foreign travelers in English and dispense good treatment.
It is also worth remembering that the boats that make the cruises on the Nile do not usually have a hospital or doctors on board, and only in those of higher category may there be a nursing room with a first-aid kit and basic instruments.
Travel insurance is not mandatory to travel through Egypt, but it is absolutely recommended. For everything explained in the previous section, contracting a policy that covers your stay in this country will allow you to move with greater peace of mind and, above all, address with guarantees any unforeseen event related to health, such as medical treatments or surgical operations.
Travel insurance will also be useful in other issues related to security, such as theft or road incidents, if you plan to drive in this country. In any case, it is essential to read carefully all the coverages included in the policy, as these can be very variable from one company to another: mandatory having previously inoculated certain vaccinations for traveling to Egypt, interventions in hospital (amount covered and/or with deductible), care and transfer in ambulance, etc.
All indications on diseases and vaccinations for traveling to Egypt have an informative and preventive character, but should not generate a deterrent effect in you. As you will understand, Egypt is accustomed to receiving millions of visitors each year and the vast majority do not have any problems. And in the event of occurring, they are easily solvable with the support of the agency and the means available in the country.
In Egipto Exclusivo we will plan a trip with all the guarantees and with the capacity to react to any type of eventuality. In fact, all our trips include insurance that covers cancellation costs and medical care, among other coverages. And if during your trip there is still a Covid alert, you will find special coverages to face any risk, such as the aforementioned quarantine in your destination.
So if you need more details on this issue, you just have to get in touch with us. We are at your disposal!