Why Are Travel Vaccinations Important?
When planning a vacation, there are usually a whole lot of items on your “to do” list that you’ve got to accomplish in a short time. You’ve got to book the accommodation, transportation (flight, train, etc.), figure out what to pack, make arrangements for your pet if you happen to have one, and the list just goes on and on.
One item you will want to add to the list and make sure you get done is travel vaccinations. So why exactly are travel vaccinations so important? Let’s take a closer look.
Travel Outside Your Country
Travel vaccinations are a series of injections you can get when you choose to travel outside your own home country. While it may not be necessary to get vaccinated for all destinations outside your country, there are many that are known to pose higher health risks. The risk will also be higher depending on a few additional factors such as your own personal vaccination history, your health at the time of travel, the activities you plan to take part in while traveling, and what time of year you are traveling (the season).
The vaccinations help to prevent you from contracting these travel-related diseases, many of which can be quite serious.
When Should You Get Your Vaccinations?
Another common question people ask is when they should get their travel vaccinations. Vaccinations actually take a bit of planning, as you will need to have them done at least four to six weeks before you plan on traveling. As soon as you start to think about an international trip, you may want to get your vaccinations done so it leaves you plenty of time to your departure date.
Yellow Fever is one disease that travelers need to be vaccinated against if they are traveling to a high-risk area. Not only do you need the vaccine but you may also need to provide a stamped vaccine certificate to show it’s been done. This is all the more reason to think and plan ahead when it comes to travel vaccinations.
It’s also very important you are up-to-date on your routine vaccinations. If you aren’t, these may need to be done as well as the travel vaccinations.
What Are the Most Common Travel-Related Diseases?
There is a list of common travel vaccines available to adults keep in mind the destination will determine which are necessary.
- Typhoid and paratyphoid fever
- Hepatitis A and B
- Rabies
- Yellow Fever
- Japanese Encephalitis
- Meningococcal disease
- Diphtheria
- Cholera
- Tetanus
- Tick-borne Encephalitis
- Malaria
- Polio
If your overriding concern is “how long before traveling should I get my vaccinations?”, visit the London Travel Clinic, as the experts will be able to advise you on what injections are needed and recommended, and then administer them. Their clinics are available all over London, from Canary Wharf to Victoria.
Your health isn’t something you want to take chances on while traveling, so a little planning in advance and being aware of the health risks various countries pose is wise.