The latest information we have is that the following vaccinations are recommended for a visit to Mozambique: Hepatitis A & B, polio, tetanus and typhoid. However, many travellers have not gone to the trouble, with no adverse effects. Two of our team members were recently most expensively advised to obtain yellow fever vaccinations as apparently it has spread into the north of Mozambique, but proof of the vaccination was never requested.
The main concern with a visit to Mozambique is clearly malaria. Opinions on best prevention and treatment vary widely. Most doctors and pharmacies will strictly recommend the “old faithfuls” Larium/Mefliam, and you may feel most comfortable with that.Another common prophylaxis is doxicyclene (which does however make one’s skin more susceptible to the sun’s rays) and there are a variety of natural options available from health shops. We can also recommend a medical practice in Pretoria which provides affordable anti-malarials which are safe even in pregnancy.
Having said all this, the best prevention still seems to be to not get bitten. Mozambican mosquitos don’t seem to leave the itchy bumps one associates with mosquito bites, so check your skin for small red dots instead of waiting to feel an itch. Try and make sure you’ll have a mosquito net to sleep under wherever you travel, and as long as it can’t be harmful to you for some reason, apply mosquito repellent liberally and repeatedy, especially in the evenings. And of course, once you’re back in your home country, watch out for headaches and flu-like symptoms and get them checked out as soon as possible.