Typhoid injection for food handlers in Malaysia: the rules, where to get it and how often

Do food handlers need a typhoid injection? What the law says

Yes. The Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, made under the Food Act 1983, set three requirements:

• Training (regulation 30): every food handler must attend a food handler training course and hold a Certificate of Food Handlers Training from a training institution recognised by the Ministry of Health.
• Medical examination and vaccination (regulation 31): every food handler must be medically examined and vaccinated by a registered doctor. The Ministry of Health and local councils apply this as the anti-typhoid injection.
• Employers (regulation 11): the owner of food premises must not employ a food handler who hasn’t been trained and vaccinated, and must keep training and vaccination records for inspection.

Each of these offences carries a penalty of up to RM10,000, up to 2 years in jail, or both, and can be settled with a compound. Food handlers who are ill with, or carry, an infection that can spread through food must report it and stop handling food until a doctor certifies them fit.

Who counts as a food handler?

Under the regulations, a food handler is anyone who prepares or serves food, or touches food, food equipment or surfaces that food touches, in food premises. That includes:

• cooks, kitchen helpers and dishwashers in restaurants, cafés and canteens
• hawkers, stall and food truck operators
• waiters and staff who serve or pack food
• workers in food factories, bakeries and catering businesses

Local councils check typhoid and training records when you apply for or renew a food business licence, and health inspectors check them during inspections. In January to April 2026, for example, Penang health officers inspected more than 4,000 food premises and found workers without typhoid vaccination at seven of them.

How often do you need the typhoid injection?

The injectable typhoid vaccine protects for about 3 years, so food handlers are usually asked to repeat it every 3 years. This is the interval the Ministry of Health has stated and many councils use. Some clinics and councils ask for a booster every 2 years, which matches international travel advice, so check what your local council requires when you renew your licence.

Keep your typhoid injection card or record safe: you will need to show it to your employer and inspectors, and it tells you when the next dose is due.

Where to get a typhoid injection

• Private GP clinics: the most common option. Many give the injection on a walk-in basis and issue a card. It is worth calling ahead to check they have the vaccine in stock.
• City council injection units: some councils run their own service for food handlers, such as Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) injection unit and Johor Bahru City Council’s clinic. Check your council’s website for opening times and payment methods.
• Government health clinics: availability varies, so call your nearest Klinik Kesihatan before going.

What to bring: your MyKad, or passport for foreign workers, and your food handler training certificate if you have one. Some councils also ask for a photo and your premises details.

Cost: prices vary between clinics and councils, so ask when you call.

The food handler course (kursus pengendali makanan)

The vaccination goes together with food handler training. The course is run by training schools recognised by the Ministry of Health, covers food hygiene, personal hygiene and food-borne diseases, and usually takes a few hours. Some recognised providers also run it online. Once you pass, you receive a certificate to show your employer and the local council.

Ask your employer or local council which recognised training providers they accept.

About the typhoid vaccine: safety and side effects

The typhoid injection used for food handlers is a single dose given in the upper arm. It can be given from age 2.

• Common side effects: pain, redness or swelling where the injection was given, mild fever, headache or feeling unwell for a day or two.
• Talk to the doctor first if you have had an allergic reaction to a vaccine before, are pregnant, or have a weakened immune system. If you are moderately or severely unwell on the day, the injection may be delayed.
• The vaccine is not 100% effective, so good hand-washing and food hygiene still matter.

Newer typhoid conjugate vaccines, used in some countries from 6 months of age, give longer protection. Ask your doctor what is available.

What is typhoid?

Typhoid fever is caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi, which only lives in humans. It spreads through food or water contaminated with the faeces of an infected person. Some people who recover keep carrying the bacteria and can pass it on through food they handle without feeling ill, which is why food handlers are screened and vaccinated.

Symptoms include a prolonged high fever, tiredness, headache, stomach pain, constipation or diarrhoea, and sometimes a rash. Typhoid needs antibiotics, and drug resistance is increasingly common. In Malaysia it is a notifiable disease. Cases are relatively uncommon, but outbreaks have been traced to infected food handlers, such as one in Sabah in 2019 linked to a restaurant worker.

See a doctor if you have a fever lasting more than 3 days, especially after eating from places with poor hygiene or travelling to areas where typhoid is common. For other causes of fever and food-borne illness, see our guides to dengue and stomach pain.

Find a clinic for your typhoid injection

Many GP clinics give the typhoid injection to food handlers. Our directory lists GP clinics across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and other states, including clinics that list vaccinations among their services and clinics open at weekends. Call ahead to check the vaccine is in stock.

Browse the clinic directory

Frequently asked questions