posted by Travel Cat on Oct 26
Travel With Kids Series - Vaccination Records & Anti-Malarials
Some borders are very particular about disease transmission from certain countries - such a Yellow Fever in Africa and South America. Passport Control will check for certified proof of vaccination if necessary before allowing visitors into the country.
Vaccination Cards:
It is best to have everyone’s vaccination records kept in the standard ‘booklet’ offered by most doctors surgeries or travel clinics. This standard format allows you to keep a record of not only the vaccines that you and your children have had, but will also show how long you are protected for, and the date when the boosters needs to occur. A great help when organising trips for more than one person.
So even if you do not need proof of vaccination while traveling, you will have a permanent record of everything for everyone. The number of times I had to ring my clinic up after booking a vacation and check if everything was in order!
Some vaccinations need several weeks before offering full protection to you, so these will need to be planned in advance with a family - up to 2 months in advance to make sure all goes to plan. Some vaccines are part of a course over several weeks, so dates are very important. Also after the jabs, kids may feel a bit poorly or have sore arms - neither is ideal for traveling!
Also, making an appointment for a larger group of people or an appointment during school time can be quite a challenge. It’s worth knowing that vaccinations may not be given if children are ill and of course there could be a lower age limit on some treatments - so make sure you look into these well in advance to make sure everything runs smoothly and all precautions are taken.
If you find that you are exempt from taking a vaccine due to pregnancy, or the age of your children prohibits the use of certain medication, make sure you find out what documentation is accepted in your destination country to make sure that you are not refused entry at the border. And also take time to find out the risks involved in not being fully protected, and make other arrangements as necessary.
Anti-Malarials:
Not essential for all travel, but never-the-less of great importance in many destinations.
Malarial treatments - or prophylaxis - are specific to each destination. Treatment used in Central America may well not be suitable for travel to India or in Africa. You need to check each destination before selecting your specific pill. There are normally 2 types suggested for each destination with the best choice offered first and the second one only being offered if you have a reaction to the first one.
For this reason, you need to start taking your anti-malarial tablets up the 2/3 weeks before departure. Not only will this help to build up your protection levels, but if you get unpleasant side effects - such as nausea or dizziness, you still have time to start taking the alternative treatment before you arrive.
Make sure you purchase enough for everyone while you are away, taking into account dropped tablets or those spat back out by your children! Alternatively, you may make a note of the generic name (not the brand name) of your tablets so you can buy more while traveling, if necessary.
Speak to your pharmacist or doctor regarding treatment for malaria if you are pregnant or have very young children - and discuss any health issues before you buy anything. You usually need to continue taking these tablets even after you return, so make sure you have a supply waiting at home for when you return home.
In Addition:
Obviously - you can still get bitten by mosquitoes and other bugs while traveling - and they carry other illness and diseases as well. To reduce the incidence of any bites, make sure that you buy enough insect-repellent to protect everyone, and actually use it.
It can be a pain - as it smells and can strip the ink off of bottles and other goods smearing colour over arms and clothes - but there is little other way to protect you family when outside at dusk or dawn. You can reduce the risk of evening bites by wearing long-sleeved tops and long trousers if possible. And avoid open shoes or flip-flops if dining on the beach or near water.
Depending on the standard of the accommodation you are using and the area of the world you are traveling to, it might be worth taking your own mosquito bed nets (impregnated with permethrin) for you and your children while you sleep to prevent further bites.
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