3 Types of Travel Vaccines You Need Before Heading Abroad

It’s not every day you hear of a typhoid epidemic or a yellow fever outbreak. That’s thanks to modern technology and immunization requirements that keep us safe and healthy. When heading overseas though, you may need additional travel vaccines that protect against common diseases in the destination you’re traveling to. 

In fact, certain travel vaccines are required for entry into some countries. The most common travel diseases include:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Typhoid
• Yellow Fever
• Rabies
• Meningococcal Meningitis
• Japanese Encephalitis
• Malaria
• Dengue Fever
• Tuberculosis
• Tick-Borne Encephalitis
• Immunoglobulin
• Influenza
• Measles

Prepare for Your Trip With Travel Vaccines

You should plan to get any necessary travel immunizations about a month prior to your trip. Many vaccines require this much time to reach their full level of protection. Another word to the wise: you’ll want to do some research on the travel vaccines required for your destination. Some travel vaccines (like yellow fever) are only available at certain clinics, so you may have to find a clinic that offers it and do a little pre-travel before your big trip. 

So, exactly what vaccinations do you need before you travel?

You likely already have many required travel vaccines, but will want to be sure you’re up to date and thoroughly research the requirements for your destination (the CDC has you covered). 

1. Routine Immunizations

You’ll want to be sure you’ve gotten all routine vaccinations that are recommended for everyone in the United States. You may think of these as childhood vaccines, though some are recommended on an annual basis (like the flu shot) or every 10 years (like the tetanus booster for adults). 

Routine vaccines are noted in the CDC’s adult immunization schedule and include common vaccines like Hepatitis A, B, and C, HPV, Measles, Rubella, Tetanus, Diptheria, and Varicella.

Notable for travel, routine immunizations have proven highly relevant in recent years, as anti-vaxxers experienced a massive measles outbreak in 2018 after visiting places like Ukraine.

2. Required Travel Vaccines

Some vaccines are required by the governments of the countries you intend to enter. For example, the yellow fever vaccine is commonly required in several countries. 

It’s important to note that some vaccines may be recommended by the CDC to protect your health and also required by the country you’re visiting. Vaccine requirements can change at any time due to public health concerns or other reasons for governmental decisions. The best way to know which vaccines you need is to visit the CDC’s list of requirements by destination.

3. Recommended Vaccinations

The CDC also recommends certain travel vaccines that may not be required by the country’s government but could protect your health. The typhoid vaccine, for example, is spread by contaminated food and water and not usually found in the US. It may not be required by the country you plan to visit, but it could certainly come in handy for a travel itinerary centered around local eats!

You can find the recommended vaccines for the country you’re traveling to on the same website as the required vaccines above.

Long story short: be sure to include vaccination research in your pre-trip planning and give yourself plenty of time to get immunized! The good news is, we’ve got lots of immunizations at the ready (routine, recommended, AND required)! 

Call today to find out if we’ve got the specific travel vaccines you need!