Alec Freling, MD
Co-Founder & CEO
Emergency medicine physician. Leads clinical oversight and quality for every prescription.
Oral typhoid vaccine · Vivotif
The typhoid vaccine,
as four capsules.
Yes. Our providers can prescribe the oral typhoid vaccine (Vivotif) online after a five-minute visit, and you pick it up at your own pharmacy. You take four capsules, one every other day, and finish at least one week before you could be exposed, so plan to start at least 13days before you fly. The CDC reports that about 85% of US typhoid fever cases occur in international travelers. The vaccine protects 50–80% of people and does not protect against paratyphoid fever, so food and water care still matters.
Source: CDC Yellow Book 2026. Last updated .
- Five-minute online visit
- Booster only every 5 years
- Any pharmacy you choose
- Full refund if not prescribed
Online physician visit
$89visit fee · vaccine paid at your pharmacy
- Physician review of your itinerary and health history
- Prescription for Vivotif (4 capsules) sent to your pharmacy
- A capsule schedule timed to your flight
- Unlimited messages with the care team
For adults 18 and over. A US-licensed physician makes the final prescribing decision; if nothing is prescribed, the visit fee is refunded in full.
4
capsules, one every other day: days 1, 3, 5 and 7.
CDC Yellow Book 2026
1 week
is how far ahead of exposure the last capsule has to be.
CDC Yellow Book 2026
50–80%
of people vaccinated are protected, so food and water care still matters.
CDC Yellow Book 2026
70%+
of travel-related US typhoid and paratyphoid cases follow a trip to South Asia.
CDC Yellow Book 2026
Vivotif protects against typhoid fever only. It does not protect against paratyphoid fever (CDC Yellow Book 2026, Typhoid & Paratyphoid Fever).
Plan it backwards from your flight
How long before travel should you take the typhoid pill?
Four capsules over seven days, then a week for protection to build. That means starting at least 13 days before you fly. Enter your date to see the exact days.
Start at least 13 days before you fly.
- Day 1: take capsule 1
- Day 2: no capsule
- Day 3: take capsule 2
- Day 4: no capsule
- Day 5: take capsule 3
- Day 6: no capsule
- Day 7: take capsule 4
- Day 8: protection building
- Day 9: protection building
- Day 10: protection building
- Day 11: protection building
- Day 12: protection building
- Day 13: protection building
- Day 14: fly
- Capsule day (numbered 1–4)
- No capsule
- Protection building
- Fly
Keep it in the fridge.
Store the blister pack at 35–46°F (2–8°C). Never freeze it, and don't leave it in a warm bag.
An hour before a meal, cool drink.
Take one capsule about 1 hour before a meal, with a cold or lukewarm drink no warmer than body temperature (98.6°F, 37°C). Swallow it whole; don't chew it.
Take all four, every other day.
The label calls it essential to take all four capsules on the alternate-day schedule for the best immune response. Set reminders for days 1, 3, 5 and 7.
Keep antibiotics 72 hours away.
Wait more than 72 hours after any antibiotic before capsule 1, and don't take one during the capsules or for 72 hours after capsule 4. Antibiotics can stop the live vaccine from working. Malarone needs 10 days after capsule 4.
Source: CDC Yellow Book 2026, Typhoid & Paratyphoid Fever. Your physician confirms the exact days from your itinerary.
Who needs it
Who needs a typhoid vaccine for travel?
The CDC recommends typhoid vaccination for travelers going anywhere typhoid is a recognized risk. It spreads through food and water contaminated with sewage, and risk is highest in South Asia: Bangladesh, India and Pakistan above all.
Two vaccines, one disease
Typhoid pill or typhoid shot: which should you get?
| Compare | Oral · Vivotif | Shot · Typhim Vi |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | 4 capsules, every other day | 1 injection |
| Ages | 6 and older | 2 and older |
| Finish by | 1 week before exposure | 2 weeks before travel |
| Booster | Every 5 years | Every 2 years |
| Pregnancy or weak immune system | Not given (live vaccine) | May be considered |
| How you get it | Prescribed online, picked up at your pharmacy | Given in person at a clinic or pharmacy |
Wandr prescribes the oral vaccine for adults 18 and over. If the shot suits you better (you're pregnant, immunocompromised, or short on time), your physician will say so and you can get it at a pharmacy or travel clinic. Source: CDC Yellow Book 2026.
Safety
Who shouldn't take the oral typhoid vaccine?
Vivotif is a live, weakened strain of the typhoid bacteria. That makes it easy to take, and it's also why a few people need the shot instead. Your physician reviews your health history for each of these.
- 01
Children
The oral vaccine is approved from age 6 and the shot from age 2. Wandr prescribes for adults 18 and over, so children get theirs through their own doctor.
- 02
Pregnancy
It's a live vaccine, so it isn't given in pregnancy. The shot may be considered instead.
- 03
A weakened immune system
Including HIV and medicines that suppress immunity. The shot is the safer option.
- 04
A stomach bug or fever right now
Wait until you're better. It isn't given during acute gastroenteritis or a feverish illness.
How it works
How do you get the typhoid vaccine pill online?
- 01
Tell us about the trip.
Where you're going, when you fly, your health history. About five minutes, on your phone.
- 02
A physician reviews it.
A US-licensed physician checks timing, medicines and anything that rules out a live vaccine, usually within 24 hours.
- 03
Pick it up, put it in the fridge.
The prescription goes to the pharmacy you choose. Not every pharmacy stocks Vivotif, so call ahead.
Why Wandr instead of a travel clinic
Physician-founded, so you can skip the waiting room.
Mark Karam, PA-C
Co-Founder & COO
Emergency PA who saw travelers come in unprepared, and built Wandr to fix it.
CompareWandrClinicTravel clinic
Provider visit$89$200+
Your timeAbout 5 minutes, onlineHours, in person
AppointmentNoneBooked 1–2 weeks out
PharmacyAny pharmacy you chooseOften theirs
If nothing is prescribedFull refundYou still pay
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Questions, answered
Typhoid vaccine questions.
The oral typhoid vaccine (Vivotif) is a prescription capsule, so yes: a Wandr physician can review your trip online and, when it's appropriate, send the prescription to your pharmacy. The injectable typhoid vaccine has to be given in person at a clinic or pharmacy.
Take the four capsules on days 1, 3, 5 and 7, and finish at least one week before you could be exposed. In practice, start at least 13 days before you fly. If you're also taking Malarone, start at least 18 days before, because Malarone can begin only 10 or more days after the last capsule (CDC Yellow Book 2026).
Typhoid vaccines protect 50–80% of people who get them, according to the CDC. The oral vaccine does not protect against paratyphoid fever, a similar illness. That's why safe food and water habits and frequent handwashing still matter on the trip.
The CDC recommends a booster of the oral vaccine every 5 years for people who keep traveling to risk areas. The injectable vaccine needs a booster every 2 years.
Antibiotics can stop the live vaccine from working. Wait more than 72 hours after any antibiotic before the first capsule, and don't take one while you're taking the capsules or for 72 hours after the last capsule (CDC Yellow Book 2026). That includes doxycycline, which some travelers take to prevent malaria. Atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone) should start only 10 or more days after the final capsule. Mefloquine and chloroquine can be taken together with the vaccine. Your physician checks the timing of any other antibiotic or antimalarial you take.
Yes. Keep the capsules in the fridge at 35–46°F (2–8°C) and never freeze them. Because the course is finished before you leave, you don't have to travel with them.
Children under 6, anyone who is pregnant, people with a weakened immune system (including HIV), and anyone with a current stomach illness or fever. The injectable vaccine is usually the alternative. Your physician reviews your health history for these before prescribing.
The Wandr visit is $89 and covers the physician review and the prescription. You pay for the vaccine itself at your pharmacy, where the price depends on the pharmacy and your insurance. If nothing is prescribed, the visit fee is refunded.
Often prescribed with it
- AzithromycinTraveler's diarrhea, carried for the trip. Like any antibiotic, it must stay 72+ hours away from your typhoid capsules.
- Atovaquone-Proguanil (Malarone)Malaria prevention. Start it 10+ days after your last typhoid capsule.
- OndansetronNausea and vomiting, for the days the food doesn't agree.
At least 13 days before you fly
Four capsules at home. One less worry away.
Five minutes online. A physician times the course to your flight and sends it to the pharmacy you already use.
Physician review required. If nothing is prescribed, the visit fee is refunded.
Medical disclaimer
This page is for educational purposes and isn't medical advice. A licensed physician decides whether the oral typhoid vaccine is right for you after reviewing your health history. No vaccine is 100% effective; keep following safe food and water practices while you travel.
Medically reviewed by the Wandr Health Medical Team · Last updated October 3, 2026
Physician review, usually within 24 hoursFully onlineHIPAA compliant
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