A major part of keeping safe when travelling abroad is ensuring that you are protected against diseases endemic to the region you plan to stay in. The best place to get advice and book vaccinations is at a travel health clinic.
Alongside buying insect repellent, stocking up on antimalarial medication and ensuring that any prescription or over-the-counter medication can be taken to your destination, booking travel vaccinations is key to providing the most protection possible against serious diseases.
Whilst there are a lot of different travel vaccines for diseases more commonly found in countries other than the UK, a travel vaccination routine will typically fit into one of three categories, all of which a travel pharmacy can help with.
Routine Vaccinations
Some of the most important vaccines for travel, and the ones that will often be recommended first if they are missing from your medical records, are part of the routine immunisation schedule.
These vaccinations, most of which are undertaken from birth to the age of 14, include vaccinations for MMR, Td/IPV (the 3-in-1 vaccine) and meningitis.
The latter, known as MenACYW, is particularly important for people planning to participate in Hajj, as it is required for entry into the country for pilgrims and seasonal workers.
Whilst the specific requirements will vary by country, the first step will be ensuring that you are up to date with routine vaccinations and boosters. These will also often be the easiest vaccines to book in advance.
In some cases, a routine vaccination or booster can be a vital part of protecting yourself during an outbreak. For example, if you are travelling to an area in the USA affected by a measles outbreak, you would be advised to check if you require the MMR vaccination or any reinforcing dose.
Vaccines Required For Entry
By contrast, some countries have requirements for proof of vaccination before anyone will be allowed to enter the country. This typically takes the form of an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), also known as the Yellow Card (but not to be confused with the Yellow Card Scheme for medication).
There are several examples of vaccines required on entry that overlap with the routine immunisation schedule, including for meningitis and polio, and a travel clinic can provide advice on organising an ICVP as required.
However, the disease most associated with the ICVP process is yellow fever, a tropical disease spread by mosquitoes found in some parts of Africa and South America that can have potentially serious side effects.
Because of this, some countries operate a policy which requires travellers entering a certain country to be vaccinated with proof via an ICVP at least ten days beforehand.
These include Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Angola, Mali and Uganda, with other countries requiring proof from travellers who have travelled through countries deemed to be at risk from the disease.
These requirements can vary depending on the country and depending on the potential for any outbreak to spread.
Recommended Vaccinations
Aside from vaccines that are required to enter a country, many travel vaccines are not legally required but are highly recommended, and will often be suggested by a travel clinic in order to provide you with as complete a level of protection from diseases as possible.
The exact recommendations will vary not only based on the country you are travelling to but also based on your specific itinerary.
For example, vaccination against conditions such as rabies, typhoid and cholera will primarily be offered to travellers planning to spend significant amounts of time in high-risk areas.
This is often the case for backpackers, people staying in hostels, people travelling around rural regions, or travellers who are spending a month or more in a particular area.
In the case of rabies, these are areas with a wild or domestic animal population that are at high risk of contracting rabies, whilst in the case of typhoid or cholera, these will include areas where food hygiene and water sanitation are poor and thus infection is most likely.
In the case of cholera, specifically, the vaccine is primarily offered in areas where medical care is likely to be remote, which is primarily a risk for disaster relief workers entering known outbreak areas.
A vaccination clinic can provide further clarity and advice regarding your travel and make suggestions about which vaccinations are necessary and which are strongly advised, especially if there are time constraints or urgent travel necessitates an expedited schedule.
This includes whether antimalarial medication is necessary and which type is appropriate for which areas.