What Are Travel Vaccines?
Travel immunisations, commonly known as travel vaccines, are shots given to travellers before visiting certain countries to protect them against various illnesses. Immunisations work by exposing your body to a small portion of the disease. You cannot get ill from a vaccine since the bacteria or viruses used are severely weakened or dead. After getting vaccinated, your body produces antibodies that will protect you if exposed to the disease in the future.
When Should You Get Immunised?
There are three types of vaccines that you can get at a travel clinic. They include:
- Routine Vaccines. These are the standard child and adult immunisations. Travel clinics offer these vaccines because many individuals don’t update their adult immunisations, such as Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine.
Some diseases such as measles break out from time to time; it is essential to get immunised before travelling abroad.
- Required vaccines. These are the vaccines that a traveller should have to be allowed into a specific country. Most countries will require travellers to be vaccinated against yellow fever. Vaccine requirements change from time to time because the country’s government controls entry requirements.
- Recommended vaccines. These are vaccines that travellers are recommended to get even though they may not be required to enter the country that they are visiting. Such vaccines are recommended based on the itinerary, health, and age of the traveller.
Which Travel Vaccines Do You Need?
Below are some of the vaccine-preventable diseases that you can get during a routine adult vaccinations schedule:
Hepatitis A
This is a viral infection prevalent in Africa, Central Asia, the Caribbean, America, Russia, and some parts of Europe. Hepatitis A is spread through:
- Undercooked or raw shellfish
- Contaminated water and food
- Bodily fluids
Hepatitis B
This is a viral infection that is spread through bodily fluids such as semen or blood. Travellers are required to get a Hepatitis B vaccine when travelling to:
- The Caribbean
- South America
- Asia
- Africa
Typhoid
Typhoid is a disease caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi. This illness is transmitted through the consumption of contaminated water or food. Destinations that require you to have a typhoid vaccination are:
- South Asia
- South America
- The Caribbean
- Middle East Countries
- Africa
- Europe
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that is spread through the saliva of infected animals. The rabies vaccine is recommended to travellers who will engage in outdoor activities, especially those doing research or those who may come in contact with domestic or wild animals in high-risk areas. Although cases of rabies are found worldwide, the disease is more prevalent in:
- Africa
- South America
- Asia
- Central America
Japanese Encephalitis
Japanese encephalitis is a disease transmitted by mosquitoes. This disease has a high fatality rate, and anyone travelling to Korea, Thailand, India, and Sri Lanka is advised to be immunised against it.
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