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Rio Carnival 2025 takes place from 28 February to 8 March in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil although carnival events also happen in other cities in Brazil. Over 1 million visitors are expected to attend Carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro.
Travellers planning to attend Carnival this year should be reminded how to stay safe and protect themselves against common health risks.
Prior to travelling to Brazil, all travellers should be advised to:
Attending crowded events increases the risk of transmission of diseases such as measles and mpox.
Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that can be very unpleasant and sometimes leads to serious complications. Measles can spread easily between crowds of people attending mass gatherings, such as festivals. Large measles outbreaks continue to be reported globally.
All travellers who have not previously received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or do not have a reliable history of past infection, should be offered Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccination to ensure that 2 doses of MMR vaccine, administered at least one month apart, have been received.
Cases of mpox continue to be reported in countries where the disease is not endemic. Travel-related cases of mpox (clade 1b infection), mostly linked to countries where outbreaks have been reported, have been detected in the UK, Europe, South-East Asia and Americas region. Travellers can reduce their risk of exposure to mpox by:
All travellers whose sexual networks mean they are more likely to come into contact with mpox are advised to ensure they have received two doses of smallpox vaccine (if eligible) to provide long term protection. See Smallpox and mpox: the green book, chapter 29 for further information.
In addition to the advice above, all travellers attending Carnival should be advised to consider the following measures to reduce their risk of becoming unwell during travel:
After returning home, all travellers should be aware of the need to:
The following TRAVAX advice pages may also be applicable for travellers to Brazil, and can be sent to the traveller via the suitcase function:
On their return to the UK, travellers should be aware to seek urgent medical attention if they develop a fever or flu-like illness, and to tell a healthcare professional of their recent travel history, particularly if they have travelled in a region with malaria.
