Risk / Health Info for Sierra Leone

What injections should I get for Sierra Leone?

What shots do you need for Sierra Leone? Our advisers can put together a travel health regime that meets all your needs. Make sure your shots are up to date before you go to Sierra Leone. Canadian Travel Clinics can recommend additional vaccinations that will keep you healthy when you are there, including hepatitis A, typhoidand cholera. These are unpleasant gastrointestinal illnesses spread by contaminated water and food. You can further reduce the risk of “travellers’ diarrhea” by making sure you drink commercially bottled water in Sierra Leone, including in your ice cubes, and by sticking to foods you can peel or that have been cooked or boiled. Drinking tea is safe, if it has been made with boiling water.

Sierra Leone is in the African meningitis belt so meningococcal meningitis shots are recommended, especially for visits between December and June. Meningococcal meningitis is spread person-to-person like a flu or cold, so practise good cough and sneeze etiquette by washing your hands frequently and covering your mouth and nose with your arm when you cough or sneeze.

Do you need a yellow fever certificate in Sierra Leone? The answer is yes. Your certificate is proof of immunity and a shot should give you lifelong immunity. So long as you keep the certificate safe, you will never need to get another one.

Should I get vaccinated against hepatitis B before going to Sierra Leone?

Regular travellers and long-stay visitors should consider getting vaccinated against hepatitis B, which is spread by contact with contaminated blood or body products. Other groups at risk include children and healthcare workers. If you think you are at elevated risk of exposure to hep B, tell your Canadian Travel Clinics adviser.

What other risks to health are found in Sierra Leone?

Tropical diseases, including water-borne infections and Lassa fever, are common in Sierra Leone. Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness can be caught from other people, but also from rodent droppings.

What hospital facilities are there in Sierra Leone?

Medical facilities in Sierra Leone are poor, so you should carry your own medical supplies. It’s recommended you purchase travel insurance before you leave Canada. Contact your provincial or territorial health authority for more information.

Malaria in Sierra Leone

Malaria prophylaxis will be required for some parts of Sierra Leone at certain times of year. There is no malaria vaccine, but there are anti-malaria drugs that should be taken before, during and after travelling to certain at-risk countries. Speak with your healthcare provider six weeks before your trip, as not all prophylaxis regimes are appropriate for all regions and all individuals.