International travel is very common and easy these days and so one might forget that extra planning is needed before you leave. It is recommended that you check out what immunizations are needed 4-6 weeks before you are planning to leave. The Center for Disease Control is a great resource for travel information. Also you can call our office or visit a travel medicine clinic such as Passport Health.
First you want to make sure your child is up to date with routine immunizations. If your child has not received two doses of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella vaccine (MMR) you need to talk to our office about getting it for them. This applies to travel to most places in the world.
The typhoid fever vaccine is needed for children over age two who are traveling to India and Southeast Asia. It only provides partial protection so you still need to be careful to eat cooked food and drink bottled or boiled water.
The yellow fever vaccine is required for travel to tropical Africa and South America. Some countries will not let you enter unless you have a valid International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) completed by a certified travel medicine clinic.
The meningococcal vaccine is recommended for travel to Sub Saharan Africa and those making the Hajj pilgrimage.
The Center for Disease Control has a great website to check out before travel.
www.cdc.gov
In my next blog I will continue with information about malaria prophylaxis.
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