Travel Immunisation

It is always better to get oneself immunised when you travel out of UK to protect yourself against certain serious endemic diseases.

Why necessary

Immunization is the method of protecting oneself against specific diseases by receiving a vaccine that stimulates the production of protective antibodies within the body. A travel immunisation is important as one may not be immunised against all the diseases that vary from place to place.

Now a days trip to tropical and sub-tropical regions is quite common and these regions are featured with certain fatal diseases.

The duration of a person’s stay abroad is also getting longer. This increases his/her exposure to various pathogens in the area and puts him/her into danger.

Increased trips to rural places with minimal sanitary and hygienic practices add to the vulnerability. Appropriate medical interventions also may not be available.

Additionally, an International Certificate of Vaccination is required to get admitted to many nations as a part of protective measures implemented.

Required immunisation

It is totally dependent on your destination. Diseases present in one nation may not be present in another and vice versa. Along with the new vaccines, one should also make sure that all the booster doses of already taken vaccines have been completed.

The factors that determine the type of vaccine include:

• The nation or nations one intends to visit – even a local region within the nation need to be considered.
• The season in which one travels – especially if it is the rainy season
• The place of stay – commonly the likelihood to develop diseases is common with stays in rural villages than the cities.
• The type of work – it determines the nature and intensity of your exposure to the pathogens.
• The duration of your stay – the risk increases as you extend your stay
• The age of a person and the general health – young children and old people ate more at risk. A person with a low immune status or suffering from any other condition is more at risk.

When is it needed

It is always better to consult your GP and inform about your trip and receive the guidelines from him. However it is always recommended to visit the physician at least 8 weeks before the trip.

Immunizations:

Hepatitis A

It is recommended if a person travelling to tropical regions and particularly to rural places with poor water hygiene, a person visiting a region known for its endemic nature, a person with grave liver disease.

Meningococcal disease

It is recommended in places that are known to have a high rate of this disease like Saudi Arabia, Africa, Bhutan, Pakistan, Northern India and Nepal.

Tetanus

A person who has not been immunized and a person travelling to a place where adequate medical facility is not available will be at risk.

Yellow fever
A person travelling to an area with high rate of yellow fever or a country that demands an International Certificate of Vaccination against yellow fever for entry will have to be immunised.

Other diseases include Cholera, Japanese encephalitis, Rabies and Tick-borne encephalitis.