Ghana Travel Health and Vaccinations
Mandatory Yellow Fever certificate, year-round malaria tablets, and the West Africa pre-travel jab bundle.
Mandatory Yellow Fever, year-round malaria and the full pre-travel vaccine bundle
Ghana is one of West Africa's most stable and accessible travel destinations — Accra, the Cape Coast slave-trade history sites, Kumasi and the Ashanti region, the Volta lake and the rural north. UK visitor numbers have grown steadily, particularly diaspora visitors going home, business travel into Accra, and increasingly leisure travel. From a travel-health perspective Ghana is a high-considerations destination: Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is mandatory on arrival, malaria is year-round across the country, and the standard pre-travel jab bundle applies.
At Gunwharf Travel Clinic we run pre-Ghana appointments year-round. A typical appointment is 30 minutes and covers Yellow Fever certificate (often needed on the spot if booking is short notice), the pre-travel vaccine bundle, and malaria prescription. Walk out with everything you need.
Abdullah Seyed (MPharm, GPhC reg. 2211356) leads day-to-day clinical practice. Merali Pharmacy, operating Gunwharf Travel Clinic, is GPhC-registered (premises 1099145).
For Ghana trips you'll typically need: Yellow Fever certificate (mandatory for entry — checked at the airport), Hepatitis A, Typhoid, an up-to-date Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio booster, Hepatitis B for longer stays, Rabies for rural travel, Meningitis ACWY (recommended December–June dry season), and malaria tablets for the entire country.
Lead pharmacist at Merali Pharmacy, operating Gunwharf Travel Clinic on Queen Street, Portsea. GPhC-registered (reg. 2211356), travel-medicine trained, working under UK regulatory standards.
Ghana requires Yellow Fever — checked at the airport
Ghana is one of the West African countries that mandates a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate for entry, regardless of which country you're arriving from. The certificate is checked at Kotoka International Airport on arrival; travellers without one have been refused entry or vaccinated at the airport (not ideal, expensive, and you have to wait 10 days for the certificate to become valid). Single injection, certificate valid for life under WHO's 2016 update. We're a NaTHNaC-designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre and can issue the certificate the same appointment.
Malaria is year-round, country-wide
Ghana has year-round malaria risk across the entire country including Accra and the coast — different from many destinations where malaria is concentrated in specific regions. Malaria tablets are recommended for essentially all travellers, ideally Malarone (atovaquone/proguanil) for short trips or doxycycline for longer stays. Bite prevention is at least as important: DEET-based repellent, long clothing at dawn and dusk, treated bed nets. We prescribe and dispense the tablets at your appointment.
The pre-travel jab bundle
Hepatitis A (food and water exposure, common across Ghana), Typhoid (same), an up-to-date Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio booster, Hepatitis B for longer stays or healthcare exposure, and Rabies for travellers going to rural areas without easy access to medical care.
Meningitis — the dry-season consideration
Northern Ghana sits within the African meningitis belt. From December through June (the Harmattan dry season), Meningitis ACWY is recommended for travellers to the northern regions, particularly long-stay travellers or those mixing closely with local populations. For Accra-only or southern travel outside dry season, it's usually not needed.
Diaspora visitors — the underestimated trip
A common pattern we see: Ghanaian diaspora visitors going home for family weddings, funerals or extended visits, who underestimate the travel-health considerations because "it's just home." The malaria risk doesn't care if you grew up there — adult immunity wanes after years in the UK. Yellow Fever still applies. We see plenty of patients in this category and the conversation is the same as for any other Ghana traveller.
Children and Ghana
Yellow Fever is licensed from 9 months, Hep A from age 1, Typhoid from age 2. Malaria tablets are weight-based and we can prescribe paediatric Malarone for children over 5kg. Family bookings welcome.
Booking your Ghana appointment
Book online at gunwharftravelclinic.co.uk/booking or call 02392 821859. Book at least 2 weeks before travel so the Yellow Fever certificate is valid in time. Walking distance from Gunwharf Quays.
Everything you need in one appointment
Yellow Fever certificate (mandatory), Hep A + Typhoid, malaria tablets dispensed.
Pre-Ghana review
Trip purpose, length, regions you're visiting (Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi, Volta, north) and any specific risks like rural stays or rainy-season travel.
Yellow Fever certificate (mandatory)
Required at the Ghana border. Single injection, certificate valid for life. Must be at least 10 days old at arrival. Issued the same appointment.
Hep A + Typhoid + Td/IPV
Standard West Africa triple. Combined visit, no separate appointments.
Malaria tablets dispensed
Malarone or doxycycline — prescribed and dispensed at the appointment. Year-round malaria risk across Ghana.
Meningitis ACWY (seasonal)
Recommended for dry-season travel (December–June) to northern Ghana, which sits in the meningitis belt.
30-minute appointment
Multi-vaccine consultations, certificates and malaria assessment in one visit.
30-minute appointment for full Ghana pre-travel review.
Three steps from booking to Ghana-ready.
Book your appointment
Pick a slot at gunwharftravelclinic.co.uk/booking. Tell us your dates and itinerary — Accra-only, regional travel, rural — so we can tailor the advice.
Pre-Ghana visit
24 Queen St, Portsea. Yellow Fever and pre-travel vaccines given in a single visit. Malaria tablets prescribed and dispensed.
Certificate and travel summary
Walk out with your International Certificate of Vaccination (Yellow Card) and personalised written summary. Both useful at the Ghana border.
Thirty minutes from arrival to vaccinated.
What actually happens when you walk through the door at 24 Queen Street.
Best pharmacy in Portsmouth. Nothing ever too much trouble. Always pleasant, helpful, understanding and so friendly.
Every vaccine you need. One appointment.
The vaccines UK clinics actually stock...
Real advice. Real travellers.
"Best pharmacy in Portsmouth..."
"Excellent pharmacy..."
"I find the staff polite..."
On Queen Street, Portsea. Walking distance from Gunwharf Quays.
24 Queen Street, Portsea,
Portsmouth PO1 3HN
In the city · Walk or short drive
We're on Queen Street in Portsea, two minutes from Gunwharf Quays.
Common Ghana travel vaccine questions
Is Yellow Fever mandatory for Ghana?
Yes. Ghana requires a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate for all travellers aged 9 months and over, regardless of arrival country. The certificate is checked at Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Must be at least 10 days old at arrival. We issue the certificate the same appointment.
Do I need malaria tablets for Ghana?
For almost all Ghana travel, yes. Malaria is year-round across the entire country including Accra. We prescribe and dispense the tablets — typically Malarone or doxycycline — at your appointment.
What other vaccines do I need?
Hepatitis A, Typhoid, an up-to-date Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio booster. Hepatitis B for longer stays. Rabies for rural travel. Meningitis ACWY if you're going to northern Ghana in the December–June dry season.
I'm Ghanaian-born — do I still need the vaccines?
Yes. The Yellow Fever certificate is required regardless of nationality. And while you may have had partial malaria immunity growing up in Ghana, that protection wanes after years living in the UK. We recommend the same vaccine and malaria prophylaxis approach as any other traveller.
How soon before travel should I book?
Ideally 4–6 weeks. The Yellow Fever certificate becomes valid 10 days after vaccination — so the absolute minimum is 2 weeks before departure. Other vaccines work effectively if given at least 2 weeks before travel.
Can children be vaccinated?
Yes. Yellow Fever is licensed from 9 months, Hep A from age 1, Typhoid from age 2, Hep B from birth. Family bookings welcome.
Is the water safe in Accra?
Bottled or filtered water is safer than tap water across Ghana. Be careful of ice, salads washed in tap water, and unpasteurised dairy. We cover this in detail at your appointment.
Where do I get my Ghana vaccines in Portsmouth?
Gunwharf Travel Clinic, 24 Queen Street, Portsea, Portsmouth PO1 3HN. NaTHNaC-designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre. Same-day appointments most weeks. Walking distance from Gunwharf Quays.
From Portsmouth to 24 Queen Street
We're on Queen Street in Portsea, two minutes from Gunwharf Quays.
Pharmaceutical
Council
FEVER
ZONE
Book your Yellow Fever certificate and pre-travel vaccines.
Same-day Yellow Fever certificate. Malaria tablets dispensed at the visit.
- TravelHealthPro — Ghana travel health (accessed 2026-05-20)
- FCDO Travel Advice — Ghana (accessed 2026-05-20)
- UK Health Security Agency — Green Book — Yellow Fever chapter (accessed 2026-05-20)
- GPhC — Register entry — Abdullah Seyed (2211356) at Merali Pharmacy (accessed 2026-05-20)
Information on this page is general guidance from Gunwharf Travel Clinic, operated by Merali Pharmacy (GPhC premises 1099145). Yellow Fever requirements and malaria maps are updated — we check current TravelHealthPro and WHO guidance at each appointment.
