Vaccination and Travel 101
Auteur: david carrau
Have you scheduled a trip to an exotic country? Planned a vacation abroad? Before you jump on your airplane to get there, you may want to make sure you have the required vaccinations – or it could be the shortest and least fun trip of your life.
Many countries have strict requirements regarding vaccinations necessary to get into the country. And on top of that, you may want to protect yourself from illness while you’re on vacation. Let’s explore what’s required, when it’s required and how to protect yourself.
When Should You Get Your Vaccinations?
The CDC recommends getting vaccinated four to six weeks before your trip. Ideally, set one up during this time. This is because it takes time for your body to become immune to the diseases you’re being vaccinated for. To protect yourself, you need this four to six weeks.
If possible, you may also want to spread your vaccinations out so your body doesn’t have to recover from all of the vaccines at once. Sometimes side effects like fever, headache, and stomach ache occur from vaccinations.
What Vaccines Do You Have to Get?
There are only two required vaccinations and they include:
* Yellow Fever
* Meningococcal Meningitis
The remaining vaccinations are either recommended or routine. The routine vaccinations include the vaccinations you would normally get whether you’re traveling or not. However, it’s important to make sure your vaccinations are up to date to protect your health while you travel. Recommended vaccinations vary depending on the country you’re traveling to and include:
* Hepatitis A
* Hepatitis B
* Typhoid
* Rabies
* Encephalitis
* Malaria
You can visit the CDC travel destinations list and check for the recommended vaccinations for the country you’re traveling to at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list.aspx. This link can also provide you with local health issues you should be aware of.
When traveling abroad, it’s important to not only make sure you have the vaccinations required to enter the country, it’s also important to protect your health. The last thing you want to experience on your vacation abroad is an illness you could have prevented. Bring home happy memories and get your vaccinations before you travel abroad.
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