The following recommendations were approved by the Specialized Commission on Infectious and Emerging Diseases of the High Council for Public Health on April 14, 2022. They were developed by a dedicated working group within this commission and address vaccination recommendations, prevention advice, and guidelines for dealing with major risks, as well as considerations based on the traveler’s age or chronic health conditions.

This edition lists more than 25 diseases and covers approximately 175 countries on all continents.
The situation in each country and the resulting prevention recommendations have been updated based on the most recent WHO data.

Health Recommendations for Travelers – 2022 Edition: What’s New Compared to the Previous Edition

Chapter 1 - Vaccinations

• COVID-19: Entry into and exit from French territory are subject to a regularly updated country classification.

• Japanese Encephalitis: Papua New Guinea has been added to the list of high-risk countries, and data regarding Australia has been updated.

• Yellow Fever: No risk of transmission or vaccination requirement for Ascension Island (United Kingdom), Laos, Libya, the Philippines, and the British Indian Ocean Territory. Numerous new areas at risk of exposure requiring yellow fever vaccination have been identified.

• Tuberculosis: Addition of Saudi Arabia, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and Croatia to the list of high-incidence geographic areas.

Chapters 2 and 3 - Arthropod-borne risks, personal vector protection, and malaria

• Malaria worldwide: increase in the number of reported cases and deaths in 2021. Pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic on health systems has significantly reduced malaria control activities. China and El Salvador have been malaria-free since 2021. WHO recommendation in October 2021 to use the RTS’S malaria vaccine in children residing in areas of moderate and high endemicity.

• Malaria in France: increase in the number of cases in 2021 (2,185 reported cases, +117% compared to 2020, according to data from the National Malaria Reference Center) with the resumption of international travel (sub-Saharan Africa in particular). Delayed diagnosis is one of the main risk factors for severe disease and death, hence the importance of prescribing appropriate prevention and ensuring follow-up.

• Personal vector protection against arthropod-borne diseases: discontinuation of the recommendation to treat clothing with permethrin for the general population (due to risks of individual and environmental toxicity); recommendation limited to refugees or military personnel only, in the absence of access to treated mosquito nets.

• Chemoprophylaxis for malaria: discontinuation of chloroquine use (unfavorable benefit-risk ratio; discontinuation of the syrup formulation since July 2021 and of tablets by the end of 2022).

Chapters 5–12 – Risks related to transportation, the environment, activities, behaviors, and situations; various precautions

• Update of recommendations regarding: prevention of jet lag, prevention of thromboembolic disease, prevention of motion sickness, prevention of sun exposure, and prevention of acute mountain sickness.