Why do I need Travel Vaccinations

Vaccinations are administered in order to help us better preserve our good health. They may be provided as a preventive measure against a potential disease or in order to protect us against a disease to which we have recently been exposed. As children, we receive several vaccinations on specific schedules to prevent diseases that are dangerous to us in youth; most are combined vaccines such as measles-mumps-rubella or diphteria-pertussis- tetanus-polio-haemophilus influenza.

As international travellers, we may encounter infectious risks not present in our everyday environment, thus new vaccinations could be needed. Diseases such as hepatitis A can be a greater risk abroad, and ailments like Japanese encephalitis may be completely foreign to our home geography. In fact, for travellers, hepatitis A is the most common vaccine- preventable disease.

Although it is rare, some people may have adverse or allergic reactions to travel vaccinations; some vaccinations may be contraindicated in pregnant women–that is, the risk posed to the individual by the vaccine is greater than what it is intended to protect against. Before receiving any vaccination, it is highly recommended that you have a consultation with a health professional with expertise in immunization.

Make no mistake: vaccination is an important step to ensuring a safe and healthy voyage. There is no reason to risk suffering from a disease if there is a safe, easy way to prevent it!