Many health experts believe that vaccinations against illnesses like rubella, mumps, and tetanus, which are all considered routine in many developed countries, should be included on everyone’s list of travel vaccines. In many cases, a yellow fever vaccine is required. Travel vaccines for typhoid fever and hepatitis A are two examples of vaccines that should be obtained before visiting certain locations.
Only yellow fever vaccination is required by international health regulations among the available travel vaccines. Even then, it is only required when traveling to South American and Sub-Saharan African countries. Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne disease that is spread by mosquitoes. There is no cure for this viral disease, and it can be fatal. According to the World Health Organization, yellow fever vaccines have proven to be highly effective and can protect a person for more than three decades (WHO).
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends three travel vaccines: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial disease that can affect the lungs or the skin. Tetanus is a bacterial infection that thrives in wounds and has a negative impact on the nervous system. Pertussis, also known as whopping cough, is a contagious bacterial infection of the respiratory system marked by a characteristic cough. Individuals in some countries, such as the United States, are given a combination vaccine that protects them from all of these diseases.
Rubella, also known as German measles, is a viral infection that causes a red skin rash and affects the lymph nodes. Measles is a disease that causes a rash that is similar to chickenpox but is more infectious. Mumps is another contagious viral infection that causes painful salivary gland swelling. Before traveling, the WHO recommends that travelers get vaccinated against these infections. A combination vaccine could also be used to accomplish this.
Certain travel vaccines are recommended only when visiting specific countries or regions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all travelers to Mexico should be vaccinated to avoid contracting typhoid fever. This bacterial infection is spread most commonly by drinking infected water or eating food contaminated with the infection’s feces. Contraction of this illness, which is also a risk for visitors to certain parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia, can be fatal.
Travelers to these areas should also consider getting vaccinated against hepatitis A. Hepatitis A is one of the most common vaccine-preventable diseases acquired while traveling, according to the CDC. One of the hazards of this disease is that it can be spread through a variety of routes, including direct human contact, shellfish harvested from contaminated waters, and contaminated drinking water.