Vanuatu starts with a travel-clinic visit. CDC's malaria advice covers every island.
The CDC recommends prescription malaria medicine for all of Vanuatu, cruise stops in Port Vila included, and lists the country on its global dengue notice after a 2026 outbreak in South Efate. Book the clinic visit, then plan on repellent by day and after dark on Efate, Santo and Tanna.
Are there mosquitoes in Vanuatu? Yes, and two of the diseases they carry shape the trip. The CDC recommends prescription malaria medicine for travelers to all of Vanuatu, and South Efate, which includes Port Vila, had a dengue outbreak from June 2026. Plan a travel-clinic visit before you go, then repellent by day and after dark.
Malaria: CDC's advice covers every island
The CDC lists Vanuatu's malaria transmission areas as "All." It names P. vivax as the main species, with P. falciparum and P. ovale rare, and notes resistance to chloroquine.
In CDC's words: "CDC recommends that travelers going to Vanuatu take prescription medicine to prevent malaria." It lists atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine, and adds: "Fill your malaria prescription before you leave and take enough with you for the entire length of your trip."
What we suggest you do with this: book a travel-medicine appointment 4–6 weeks before departure and bring the plan, with the islands, the nights on each or the date of your cruise call. Ask how the advice applies to a single day ashore in Port Vila. Our malaria-zone checklist covers the rest of the preparation.
Vanuatu's own figures show how uneven malaria is. The health ministry and the UN Development Programme reported 2,059 confirmed cases in 2025, nearly 70% of them in Sanma Province, home to Espiritu Santo and Luganville. They also report Tafea Province, which includes Tanna, malaria-free since 2017. CDC's recommendation still covers the whole country, so bring those figures to the clinic as background and let it make the call.
Malaria mosquitoes bite from dusk to dawn. Put repellent on at sunset, wear long sleeves after dark and sleep in a screened or air-conditioned room or under a net, especially on Santo.
Dengue on Efate in 2026
Vanuatu's health ministry declared a dengue outbreak in South Efate, including Port Vila, in June 2026. The UK's TravelHealthPro service counted 112 confirmed cases from mid-June to the end of August, with local transmission in Erakor, Port Vila, Eratap and Pango. The World Health Organization's Pacific surveillance showed dengue-like illness peaking in late August and easing through September. Vanuatu is on the CDC's global dengue list, a Level 1 notice for countries reporting higher-than-usual case numbers or more cases than expected among returning US travelers.
The outbreak ran through the drier months, so dengue here hasn't kept to the wet season, which tends to run from about November to April. Aedes mosquitoes bite in daylight, with peaks after sunrise and in the late afternoon, the hours of a port day, a swim at Hideaway Island or a walk around Port Vila. Put repellent on over sunscreen before you leave the ship or hotel, and again after swimming. Our dengue & Zika routine has the full schedule. Check whether the Efate outbreak has ended before you fly. The CDC also lists Zika, with no current outbreak, so if you're pregnant, talk to a healthcare provider before the trip.
The CDC's Vanuatu page also lists ciguatera fish poisoning, from eating contaminated reef fish, and leptospirosis, so avoid floodwater and wading in fresh water or mud.
Where you're going
How Efate, Santo and Tanna compare for a December–April trip.
Port Vila & Efate
Center of the 2026 dengue outbreak, with cases in Erakor, Port Vila, Eratap and Pango. CDC's malaria advice covers Efate too, so even a cruise call is a travel-clinic question.
Espiritu Santo & Champagne Beach
Sanma Province had nearly 70% of Vanuatu's 2,059 confirmed malaria cases in 2025, the health ministry reported. Repellent from dusk, and a net or a screened room at night.
Tanna & Mount Yasur
The health ministry reports Tafea Province, which includes Tanna, malaria-free since 2017, while CDC's malaria advice covers all of Vanuatu. Keep reapplying repellent through a day out.
Pairing Vanuatu with Fiji? Our Fiji briefing covers a country with dengue and no malaria.
The Vanuatu kit
- Picaridin 20% travel sprays: odorless, layers over sunscreen and quick to reapply at sunset. One 3.4 oz bottle covers about a week of daily use for one person.
- Permethrin 0.5% for evening clothes: treat a long-sleeved shirt, trousers and socks at home 48 hours before you fly. It goes on clothing, never on skin.
- A travel bed net for Santo or any room without screens or air conditioning.
One rule outlasts the trip. Any fever during or after your trip means medical care right away, and you tell the doctor you were in Vanuatu, a malaria area.
Traveler questions
Do I need malaria pills for a cruise stop in Port Vila?
The CDC recommends prescription malaria medicine for travelers going to Vanuatu and lists the transmission areas as "All," with no exception for Port Vila or a short port call. Ask a travel clinic how that applies to your day ashore, 4–6 weeks before the cruise, and bring the itinerary. Port Vila also had a dengue outbreak in 2026, so put repellent on before you leave the ship.
Is there malaria on Tanna?
The CDC's recommendation covers all of Vanuatu, Tanna included. Vanuatu's health ministry and the UN Development Programme report Tafea Province, which includes Tanna, malaria-free since 2017, with no local transmission since 2014. Take both to a travel clinic with your full route, especially if Espiritu Santo is on it, and let the clinic weigh them.
Is dengue still active in Port Vila?
It was in September 2026. Vanuatu's health ministry declared an outbreak in South Efate, including Port Vila, in June 2026, and the World Health Organization's Pacific surveillance showed dengue-like illness peaking in late August and easing through September. Vanuatu is on the CDC's global dengue list. Check for an end-of-outbreak announcement before you fly, and use daytime repellent either way.
Do I need a yellow fever vaccine for Vanuatu?
No. The CDC does not recommend it, and Vanuatu doesn't require it.
Sources
Health authorities, surveillance reports and news coverage of official bulletins used for this briefing, last checked October 2026. Traveler reports are linked where they appear. This page summarizes public-health guidance and is not medical advice.
- CDC Travel Health Notice
- CDC destination page for travelers
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- Health authority (mail.travelhealthpro.org.uk)
- mesvaccins.net
- Health authority (health.gov.ws)
- CDC Travelers' Health
- undp.org
- dailypost.vu