Travel vaccines: how to prepare from Belgium
30 July 2026 · 4 min read
A long-haul trip needs health preparation too. Good news: Belgium has one of Europe's best tools for it — Wanda, from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp — and a network of approved travel clinics. Here is how to go about it, step by step, budget included.
When to start: 6 to 8 weeks ahead
Some vaccines need several doses spread over time, and your body needs a few weeks to build protection. The Belgian references recommend planning the travel consultation 6 to 8 weeks before departure — 4 weeks being the strict minimum, and up to 4 months if your immunity is weakened. Last-minute trip? Go anyway: partial protection beats none.
Start with Wanda, country by country
The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp publishes Wanda: pick your destination and you get the recommended vaccines, health risks and precautions — based on WHO data and the Superior Health Council's advice. The free app keeps the advice offline during your trip. Complement it with the Foreign Affairs travel advice for each country's entry conditions.
Where to get vaccinated
Your GP can give most travel vaccines. For more exotic destinations, complex schedules or yellow fever, head to an approved travel clinic: there are around thirty in Belgium, spread across Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia — the official list is kept up to date on Wanda.
The most common travel vaccines
Depending on your destination, trip length and style, the consultation will consider among others: hepatitis A (two doses at least six months apart, very durable protection), typhoid, rabies, Japanese encephalitis or meningococcal disease. The doctor decides with you, based on your itinerary and profile — there is no universal list.
Yellow fever, a case apart
It is the only vaccine with a special legal status: it may only be administered at a state-approved centre, which issues the International Certificate of Vaccination (ICVP, the "yellow card") that some countries require. It must be given at least 10 days before arrival, and the certificate is now valid for life for most healthy travellers — your doctor will tell you whether revaccination is useful in your case.
Malaria: no vaccine, but a real plan
There is no malaria vaccine suitable for travellers. Protection comes from preventive tablets (prescribed per destination) and rigorous mosquito-bite prevention. And if you get a fever during or after the trip: see a doctor without delay.
What it costs — and what your insurer gives back
Compulsory insurance generally does not reimburse travel vaccines. But nearly every mutuelle / ziekenfonds offers a yearly benefit through its complementary insurance: for instance up to €25/year at Helan, €35/year at Partenamut, €30/year at Solidaris Wallonie — and CM has its own vaccination benefit. Amounts vary by insurer (and sometimes region): check yours. The reflex that changes everything: ask your pharmacist for the BVAC attestation when buying — that document triggers the refund.
Your pre-departure checklist
- Travel consultation booked 6 to 8 weeks before departure.
- At the appointment: your ID, your vaccination record and your medication list.
- Yellow-fever certificate (ICVP) if your destination requires it — approved centre, 10 days ahead.
- BVAC attestation requested at the pharmacy for the insurer refund.
- Travel pharmacy assembled following Wanda’s advice.
- Vaccination proofs reachable throughout the trip — paper or digital.
Keep your proofs with you
Yellow-fever certificate, record, ongoing schedules: exactly the kind of documents you look for at the worst moment. A digital record like emmunity keeps them available offline, wherever you are — and reminds you of the boosters due before your next departure.
Frequently asked questions
Are travel vaccines reimbursed in Belgium?
Generally not by compulsory insurance. But most health insurers refund part through complementary insurance (often €25–35 per year). Ask your pharmacist for the BVAC attestation and submit it to your insurer.
Where can I get the yellow-fever vaccine?
Only at a state-approved travel clinic — which also issues the international certificate (ICVP). The official list is published on Wanda.
Is there a malaria vaccine?
No, not for travellers. Protection relies on preventive tablets prescribed at the travel consultation and on avoiding mosquito bites.
I leave in two weeks: is it too late?
No — go to the consultation anyway. Some vaccines protect quickly (hepatitis A already after the first dose), and the doctor will adapt the schedule to your timing.