How Secure Are Immunizations For Travel?

Travel vaccines are essential for travelers to stay healthy and prevent the spread of infectious diseases like measles. These vaccines, whether oral or injectable, are recommended to protect against diseases endemic to the country of origin or destination, such as yellow fever, typhoid, and hepatitis A. In the UK, the NHS routine immunisation (vaccination) includes all travelers against the flu and COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. It is also important to complete adult vaccinations.

Vaccines are both effective and safe, but side effects can occur, which are usually mild reactions part of the normal immune response. If traveling outside the UK, travelers may need to be vaccinated against some serious diseases found in other parts of the world. To get advice on getting vaccinated before travelling abroad, contact the municipal health service (GGD), vaccination clinic, or your family doctor.

A total of 612,795 travelers received 898,196 doses of travel vaccines during the study period, with 92 administered within 60 days. Some countries require proof of vaccination for travelers. It is safe to be in contact with people who have had live vaccines as injections, but there is a very small risk from people who have had live vaccines.

In summary, travel vaccines are crucial for travelers to stay safe and prevent the spread of diseases. It is essential to be up-to-date on routine vaccinations and to be aware of potential side effects and safety risks associated with certain vaccines.

What vaccine should I get before travel?

Routine vaccines, such as MMR, tetanus, and flu, are recommended for everyone in the United States based on age, health condition, or other risk factors. Some are routinely recommended for adults, like the adult pertussis booster Tdap, while others are recommended every year or every 10 years. Other vaccines may be recommended depending on the destination and activities planned. It is essential to be up-to-date on these vaccines for your safety.

Are there side effects to travel vaccines?

The vaccine is generally mild, causing fever, headache, and muscle aches 5-14 days after immunization. Serious side effects are unlikely, but there is a rare chance of serious problems or death. Side effects include redness and tenderness at the injection site, fever, mild headache, muscle aches, and a flu-like illness 3-7 days after vaccination. Those over 60 years old should discuss potential reactions with their travel health professional. If a person experiences significant or unusual problems, they should contact a doctor or seek medical attention.

Do I really need a typhoid vaccine?

Typhoid vaccination is not recommended in the United States, but it is recommended for travelers to areas where typhoid is common. People with active typhoid fever and carriers of the causing bacteria can spread the bacteria through contaminated food or drink. Typhoid fever can be life-threatening, with symptoms including persistent high fever, weakness, stomach pain, headache, diarrhea, cough, and loss of appetite.

Without treatment, people may continue to have fever for weeks or months, with up to 30 dying from complications. Drug-resistant typhoid bacteria have become more common in many parts of the world, making antibiotic treatment options less viable.

Who shouldn’t have live vaccines?

It is contraindicated to administer live vaccines to individuals who have recently received high doses of certain immunosuppressive or biological therapies, due to the potential for severe or fatal infections.

What vaccines have a live virus?

Live vaccines are employed to safeguard against a range of illnesses, including measles, mumps, rubella, rotavirus, smallpox, chickenpox, and yellow fever.

Is typhoid vaccine 100% effective?

Typhoid vaccines stimulate the body to produce antibodies to prevent illness from typhoid bacteria. However, neither vaccine is 100% effective, so precautions should be taken when eating food and drinking water abroad. Ty21a, which contains a live Salmonella typhi bacteria sample, is not suitable for those with weakened immune systems or those receiving certain treatments, and is not recommended for children under 5, unlike Vi vaccines.

How long before you travel should you get vaccines?

A travel health risk assessment should be scheduled at least six to eight weeks prior to travel to allow sufficient time for vaccines to become effective. In the event that a trip is planned for an earlier date, it is nevertheless possible to seek advice at any time. The specific travel health requirements of an individual will be contingent upon a number of factors, including the destination, the anticipated duration of the stay, the planned activities, and the individual’s overall state of health.

What are the risks of vaccines?

No vaccine offers 100% protection and efficacy, and the effectiveness of a vaccine depends on the individual’s health status. For instance, the flu vaccine may not protect the elderly as well as younger individuals, but studies suggest that elderly people vaccinated against the flu have less severe disease, are less likely to be hospitalized, and are less likely to die. In South Carolina, preventable illnesses such as influenza, whooping cough, meningitis, and hepatitis B continue to occur, as well as travelers importing diseases like measles that cause outbreaks in communities with low vaccination rates.

Vaccines also have some risk for adverse reactions, such as redness, soreness, fever, and allergic reactions. More serious complications like seizures and Guillian-Barre are reported but occur less frequently than vaccine-preventable diseases.

What are the risks of live vaccines?

Vaccination can sometimes cause complications, such as eczematous changes that disrupt the skin’s barrier function, leading to a local vaccine virus infection that can cause severe skin infections. Post-vaccination encephalitis may also occur. This information is sourced from ScienceDirect, a website that uses cookies and holds copyright for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. The Creative Commons licensing terms apply for open access content.

How likely is it to get typhoid in Thailand?

Thailand is endemic to typhoid fever, with an estimated 3 cases per 100, 000 population in 2014. Travelers planning extended stays or remote areas should be vaccinated against typhoid. COVID-19 vaccines should be up-to-date for all travelers. Thailand has a high burden of tuberculosis, and immunocompromised travelers visiting for extended visits may be at increased risk. To avoid TB, travelers should avoid people with active TB and avoid unpasteurized dairy products.

Is one hep a vaccine enough?

Hepatitis A is a severe liver disease that can be contracted through close personal contact or unknowingly ingested from contaminated objects, food, or drinks. Children should receive two doses of the vaccine, the first from 12 to 23 months of age and the second at least 6 months after. Symptoms include fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea, and jaundice, while most children under 6 years of age do not show symptoms. Infected individuals can transmit the disease to others even without showing symptoms.