Chad

Country fact file

General information

The information on these pages should be used to research health risks and to inform the pre-travel consultation.

Travellers should check the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) country-specific travel advice page (where available) which provides information on travel entry requirements in addition to safety and security advice.

Travellers should ideally arrange an appointment with their health professional at least four to six weeks before travel. However, even if time is short, an appointment is still worthwhile. This appointment provides an opportunity to assess health risks taking into account a number of factors including destination, medical history, and planned activities. For those with pre-existing health problems, an earlier appointment is recommended.

All travellers should ensure they have adequate travel health insurance.

A list of useful resources including advice on how to reduce the risk of certain health problems is available below.

Resources

• Food and water hygiene

• Insect and tick bite avoidance

• Personal safety

• Sun protection

What vaccinations do I need for Chad?

Vaccine recommendations

Details of vaccination recommendations and requirements are provided below.

All travellers

Travellers should be up to date with routine vaccination courses and boosters as recommended in the UK. These vaccinations include, for example, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-polio vaccine.

Country-specific diphtheria recommendations are not provided here. Diphtheria tetanus and polio are combined in a single vaccine in the UK. Therefore, when a tetanus booster is recommended for travellers, diphtheria vaccine is also given. Should there be an outbreak of diphtheria in a country, diphtheria vaccination guidance will be provided.

Those who may be at increased risk of an infectious disease due to their work, lifestyle choice, or certain underlying health problems should be up to date with additional recommended vaccines. See details on the selective immunisation programmes and additional vaccines for individuals with underlying medical conditions at the bottom of the 'Complete routine immunisation schedule' document and the individual chapters of the 'Green Book' Immunisation against infectious disease for further details.

Certificate requirements

Please read the information below carefully, as certificate requirements may be relevant to certain travellers only. For travellers, further details, if required, should be sought from their healthcare professional.

• There are currently no polio vaccine requirements for travellers who intend to visit Chad for four weeks or more but this could change in the coming months; please monitor this page for updates. See 'Some travellers' section below for further details on polio vaccine.

• There is a risk of yellow fever transmission in parts of this country (see 'Some travellers' section below).

• Under International Health Regulations, a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers aged 9 months or over arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission.

• According to World Health Organization (WHO), from 11 July 2016 (for all countries), the yellow fever certificate will be valid for the duration of the life of the person vaccinated. As a consequence, a valid certificate, presented by arriving travellers, cannot be rejected on the grounds that more than ten years have passed since the date vaccination became effective as stated on the certificate; and that boosters or revaccination cannot be required.

• View the WHO list of countries with risk of yellow fever transmission.

The yellow fever vaccine is not suitable for all travellers, there are specific undesirable effects associated with it. This vaccine is only available at registered yellow fever vaccination centres. Health professionals should carefully assess the risks and benefits of the vaccine and seek specialist advice if necessary.

Most travellers

The vaccines in this section are recommended for most travellers visiting this country. Information on these vaccines can be found by clicking on the blue arrow. Vaccines are listed alphabetically.

What vaccines should some travellers consider?

Some travellers

The vaccines in this section are recommended for some travellers visiting this country. Vaccines are listed alphabetically.

Chikungunya

Chikungunya is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes which bite mainly during daytime hours. It causes a flu-like illness and can cause severe joint and muscle pains which usually improve in 1–2 weeks but may persist for months or years. It is rarely fatal.

There is a risk of chikungunya in this country.

Information on current outbreaks, where available, will be reported on our outbreak surveillance database.

Prevention

• Travellers should avoid mosquito bites, particularly during daytime hours.

Chikungunya vaccination

Vaccination may be considered for individuals aged 12 years of age and over who are:

• travelling to regions with a current chikungunya outbreak

• long-term or frequent travellers to regions with an increased risk of chikungunya

• exposed to the chikungunya virus through their work, such as laboratory staff working with the virus

Detailed advice about the use and contraindications of the available vaccines will be available in the green book chikungunya chapter in the coming months. For now, please see the JCVI news item and chikungunya in brief for details.

Cholera

Cholera is a bacterial infection transmitted by contaminated food and water. Cholera can cause severe watery diarrhoea although mild infections are common. Most travellers are at low risk.

Prevention

All travellers should take care with personal, food and water hygiene.

Cholera vaccination

This oral vaccine is recommended for those whose activities or medical history put them at increased risk. This includes:

• aid workers.

• those going to areas of cholera outbreaks who have limited access to safe water and medical care.

• those for whom vaccination is considered potentially beneficial.

Rabies

Rabies is a viral infection which is usually transmitted following contact with the saliva of an infected animal most often via a bite, scratch or lick to an open wound or mucous membrane (such as on the eye, nose or mouth). Although many different animals can transmit the virus, most cases follow a bite or scratch from an infected dog. In some parts of the world, bats are an important source of infection.

Rabies symptoms can take some time to develop, but when they do, the condition is almost always fatal.

The risk of exposure is increased by certain activities and length of stay (see below). Children are at increased risk as they are less likely to avoid contact with animals and to report a bite, scratch or lick.

Rabies in Chad

Rabies is considered to be a risk in this country. Bats may also carry rabies-like viruses.

Prevention

• Travellers should avoid contact with all animals. Rabies is preventable with prompt post-exposure treatment.

• Following a possible exposure, wounds should be thoroughly cleansed and an urgent local medical assessment sought, even if the wound appears trivial.

• Post-exposure treatment and advice should be in accordance with national guidelines.

Rabies vaccination

A full course of pre-exposure vaccines simplifies and shortens the course of post-exposure treatment and removes the need for rabies immunoglobulin which is in short supply worldwide. Pre-exposure vaccinations are recommended for travellers whose activities put them at increased risk including:

• those at risk due to their work (e.g. laboratory staff working with the virus, those working with animals or health workers who may be caring for infected patients).

• those travelling to areas where access to post-exposure treatment and medical care is limited.

• those planning higher risk activities such as running or cycling.

• long-stay travellers (more than one month).

Tuberculosis

TB is a bacterial infection most commonly affecting the lungs but can affect any part of the body. When a person with TB in their lungs or throat coughs or sneezes, they could pass TB on to other people. TB is curable but can be serious if not treated.

The BCG vaccination helps to protect some people, particularly babies and young children who are at increased risk from TB.

This country has reported an annual TB incidence of greater than or equal to 40 cases per 100,000 population at least once in the last five years (further details).

Prevention

Travellers should avoid close contact with individuals known to have infectious pulmonary (lung) or laryngeal (throat) TB. Those at risk during their work (such as healthcare workers) should take appropriate infection control and prevention precautions.

Tuberculosis (BCG) vaccination

BCG vaccine is recommended for those at increased risk of developing severe disease and/or of exposure to TB infection. See UK Health Security Agency Immunisation against infectious disease, the 'Green Book'.

For travellers, BCG vaccine is recommended for:

• Unvaccinated, children under 16 years of age, who are going to live for more than 3 months in this country. A tuberculin skin test is required prior to vaccination for all children from 6 years of age and may be recommended for some younger children.

• Unvaccinated, tuberculin skin test-negative individuals at risk due to their work such as healthcare or laboratory workers who have direct contact with TB patients or potentially infectious clinical material and vets and abattoir workers who handle animal material, which could be infected with TB.

There are specific contraindications to BCG vaccine. Health professionals must be trained and assessed as competent to administer this vaccine intradermally. Following administration, no further vaccines should be administered in the same limb for 3 months. The BCG vaccine is given once only, booster doses are not recommended.

What else do I need to know about travelling to Chad?

Malaria

Malaria is a serious illness caused by the infection of red blood cells with a parasite called Plasmodium. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes which predominantly feed between dusk and dawn.

Symptoms usually begin with a fever (high temperature) of 38°C (100°F) or more. Other symptoms may include feeling cold and shivery, headache, nausea, vomiting, and aching muscles. Symptoms may appear between eight days and one year after the infected mosquito bite.

Prompt diagnosis and treatment are required as people with malaria can deteriorate quickly. Those at higher risk of malaria, or of severe complications from malaria, include pregnant women, infants and young children, the elderly, travellers who do not have a functioning spleen, and those visiting friends and relatives.

Prevention

Travellers should follow an ABCD guide to preventing malaria:

Awareness of the risk – Risk depends on the specific location, season of travel, length of stay, activities, and type of accommodation.

Bite prevention – Travellers should take mosquito bite avoidance measures.

Chemoprophylaxis – Travellers should take antimalarials (malaria prevention tablets) if appropriate for the area (see below). No antimalarials are 100% effective, but taking them in combination with mosquito bite avoidance measures will give substantial protection against malaria.

Diagnosis – Travellers who develop a fever of 38°C [100°F] or higher more than one week after being in a malaria risk area, or who develop any symptoms suggestive of malaria within a year of return should seek immediate medical care. Emergency standby treatment may be considered for those going to remote areas with limited access to medical attention.

Risk areas

• There is a high risk of malaria in Chad: atovaquone/proguanil OR doxycycline OR mefloquine recommended.

Outdoor air quality

Poor air quality is a significant public health problem in many parts of the world. Exposure to high levels of air pollution over short time periods (e.g. minutes/hours/days) and longer time periods (e.g. years) is linked to many different acute and chronic health problems. These effects are mainly on the respiratory (lungs and airways) and cardiovascular (heart function and blood circulation) systems.

Current information on world air quality is available from the world air quality index project.

Prevention

Travellers with health problems that might make them more vulnerable to the effects of air pollution who are travelling to areas of high pollution should:

• discuss their travel plans with their doctor and carry adequate supplies of their regular medication.

• take sensible precautions to minimise their exposure to high levels of air pollution.

• check local air quality data and amend their activities accordingly.

• take notice of any health advisories published by the local Ministry of Health and Department for Environment, and follow the guidance provided.

It is unclear if face masks are beneficial at reducing exposure and may make breathing more difficult for those with pre-existing lung conditions. Those who choose to use one should make sure that the mask fits well and know how to wear it properly.

Source and disclaimer

This travel health information is based on data supplied by NaTHNaC (the National Travel Health Network and Centre). All intellectual property rights in the data are owned by NaTHNaC. It must not be copied, reproduced, distributed, amended or offered for sale without NaTHNaC’s prior written consent.
Patient.info ensures that this information is reviewed and updated on at least a weekly basis. However, NaTHNaC’s data is accurate only as at the date it was prepared, and Patient.info is solely responsible for maintaining its accuracy and completeness after that date. NaTHNaC accepts no liability for the use of this data by Patient.info or its users.