Do I need shots before I travel?
Before you travel, first make sure you are up to date on all of
the routine shots. These include tetanus, pertussis, polio,
measles, and mumps. It is also good to have a flu shot if you are
traveling during flu season. If you have never had a pneumococcus
shot and you have lung disease or have had your spleen removed,
you should get this shot before you go on your trip.
When you travel to foreign countries, you may be exposed to other
infections. Many of these illnesses can be prevented with vaccines
or medicines. At least 2 months before you travel, tell your
healthcare provider where you plan to travel. Your provider will
let you know what shots or medicines you need to prevent illnesses
in the countries you will be visiting. This decision will be based
on:
- the places you plan to visit
- your age, medical history, and health
- your exposure risk.
You should also find out which countries require proof of
vaccination before they will let you visit.
What special shots or medicines do I need before I travel?
More than a dozen vaccines are available to prevent diseases you
might be exposed to during travel to other parts of the world.
Depending on where you are traveling, you might need vaccines
against hepatitis A and B, chickenpox, pneumonia, typhoid fever,
yellow fever, meningitis, Japanese encephalitis, or rabies. (For a
complete series of hepatitis shots you may need to see your
healthcare provider at least 6 months before you travel.)
If you are going to a part of the world where malaria is common,
such as Africa, Asia, or South America, you may need to take
medicine to prevent malaria. Malaria is a serious, sometimes
fatal, disease caused by a parasite. It causes fever and flulike
illness. It may also cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of
the skin and eyes). It is usually spread by mosquito bites. Your
healthcare provider will prescribe a medicine that you will start
taking before you leave. You will continue taking the medicine
while you travel in the risk area and for 4 to 6 weeks after you
leave the area.
How can I get up-to-date information for the places I plan to
visit?
Check with your healthcare provider or your local health
department for information. You can also get detailed, up-to-date
travel advice for specific countries and diseases from:
- a travel health clinic
- the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) via the
Traveler's Health hotline at 1-877-FYI-TRIP or online at
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/. If you are pregnant,
breast-feeding, or traveling with young children, be sure to
ask about or look up specific information about your
situation.
A number of other travel medicine sites can be found on the Web,
such as:
It may seem as though the world is full of dangerous infections
when you travel. However, the most common cause of death among
travelers is injury, usually caused by a motor vehicle accident.
Become familiar with the local road conditions, traffic patterns,
and signals before you get behind the wheel and remember to wear
your safety belt.
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new health information becomes available. The
information is intended to inform and educate and is not a
replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or
treatment by a healthcare professional.
© 2009 RelayHealth and/or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
This
information is approved and/or reviewed by U-M Health System providers
but it is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for medical
treatment. You should speak to your physician or make
an appointment to be seen if you have questions or concerns about
this information or your medical condition.