Just like in France, make sure that your boosters are up to date: tetanus, diphtheria and poliomyelitis, tuberculosis (BCG). If it is not the case I would strongly advise you to consult with your doctor.
Beyond the official minimum list, it is strongly recommended to be vaccinated against the Yellow Fever and the Hepatitis A and B (3 shots each). This vaccine is available in all the tropical vaccination centers, and only requires one shot.
Vaccinations have to be started as soon as possible. In this way, you can spare yourself the discomforts in time and ensure the efficiency of your safety on site. Plan it at least 8 weeks before leaving, all the more as some vaccines may not be available right away!
If you hear talking about Japanese encephalitis (3 shots), about a vaccine against rabies (3 shots), about the typhoid fever and about the meningitis, you must know that those measures are only to be taken when in the case of a long stay in rural area (3 months or more). In the context of a touristic stay, it may not be necessary to endure those shots that are numerous and very expensive.
The case of malaria
Unfortunately, there is still no vaccine against malaria yet. This disease is passed through mosquitoes and is present in the Vietnamese countryside. However, there is no vector of the disease in urban area and over 800m of altitude. Then again, there is then no such thing as zero risk in Viet Nam. In this way, the embassies and the Vietnamese government encourage travelers to avoid the risks by taking medicines. However, the danger is minimized on a tourist tour, and I would rather advise you to fight against mosquitoes with a good repellent, particularly during night falls and daybreaks and especially on your ankles. For that, you can buy sprays in any pharmacies in France.
For those who are better reassured by pharmaceutical means, your family doctor will give you better advices you than I do. There are different types of treatment: preventive or curative.
Preventive: the medicines are expensive and can lead to numerous side effects. They have to be taken 3 weeks before the trip, during the trip and 3 weeks after the trip.
Curative: administrated doses can stop the disease to spread but they remain harmful for the body. Besides, the disease has to be diagnosed in time! Do not intake without a medical opinion. In this way, the Vietnamese doctors will be able to help you!
