posted by Travel Cat on Feb 18
There are many vaccines available to the traveller from your doctors surgery and there are some additional ones you can pay for if your travel is beyond the normal ‘package deal’ vacations, where you never really leave the resort.
The standard vaccines recommended for travel are listed below, many of which are actually just boosters of childhood vaccines which you should continue to have as standard:
Polio - childhood with booster every 10 years
Tetanus - childhood with booster every 10 years (after 5 jabs - lifetime cover)
Diphtheria - childhood with booster every 10 years
Hepatitis A - childhood (U.S. only) with initial booster after 1 year, then every 10 years
Meningitis - some are childhood (usually only C) , with 3-5 year boosters
Tuberculosis - childhood (BCG in the UK only), lifetime cover.
You will find that most destinations will be covered by these few, including most of the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Europe, as well as just the resort areas of many other popular countries including Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and Rio de Janeiro, which may have prevalent diseases in other areas.
Additional vaccines which are available for those who travel for longer periods, travel to more remote areas or those working closely with local people and local wildlife include:
Typhoid Fever
A serious infection which can be caught from contaminated water or food, generally in areas of poor sanitation, so unless you intend to not eat outside of your hotel, it is wise to keep this up-to-date. Although not generally fatal, the symptoms of this infection can be very unpleasant as it is a type of salmonella, so extreme symptoms of sickness and diarrhea occur and of course the fever! Serious consequences can occur, including intestinal bleeding and (quite rarely thank goodness) coma.
Vaccine program: This is a requested vaccine that you would not have had in childhood, with an initial injection, with booster every 3 years.
Hepatitis B (In the U.S. this vaccine is given in childhood)
This disease is passed on through contamination with blood or other bodily fluids, so can be passed on through sexual intercourse. As a result it is highly recommended for avid travellers who stay longer, work in or travel to more remote areas.
Vaccine program: This has 3 initial injections, which vary in time, depending on the type of vaccine being used and a booster every 5 years after.
Rabies
This disease is potentially fatal to humans if treatment is not administered within a short space of time, therefore vaccination is highly recommended for travellers to remote areas where rabies is endemic. It is also an essential vaccine for people who will be coming into contact or working closely with local wildlife, including feral dogs and cats as it is passed on by scratches and bites, but even a lick onto broken or grazed skin could pass this virus on, so avoid contact with any animals if possible.
The UK is rabies free, as is Hawaii; but there is always the potential for a bat to arrive in either place carrying the virus (bats don’t show symptoms of being infected) so never touch a bat, always call a professional! The U.S itself has endemic rabies, with most recent human cases being contracted from bats.
Vaccine Program: This has 3 initial injections and then 2-5 yearly boosters depending on the likelihood of exposure.
Are travel vaccinations a legal requirement?
Not for the standard vaccines, no, they are just ‘highly recommended’ for your own safety and to reduce the chances of you bringing something home and infecting your local town!
There are a few like Yellow Fever that are 100% required if you are coming from certain countries where Yellow Fever is endemic into countries that are Yellow Fever ‘free’, mainly in Africa, but also around the Amazon basin in South America. These countries will not let you in if you can not show them a valid Yellow Fever Certificate approved by WHO. Due to this, the vaccine can only be given by an approved Yellow Fever Vaccination center.
Yellow Fever:
A mosquito spread disease which can be fatal. It’s early stages are similar to many conditions, but if you enter the second stage of infection, over half the cases are fatal. There is no treatment for this virus, only supportive care. Protecting yourself against insect bites and vaccination are the only ways to prevent this.
Vaccine Program: 1 initial injection by an approved center will last for 10 years. You will be issued with a yellow certificate following this vaccine which you must carry with you when travelling between countries that require this vaccination.
There are many disease out there that cannot yet be vaccinated for - including malaria - so make sure you always find out about the risks in the country you are going to visit and take all the recommended precautions possible.
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