Wherever your trip takes you, whatever the purpose of your trip, learning about the potential health risks at your destination and how to reduce them is a vital part of having a successful and enjoyable holiday.
A specialist travel clinic is a good starting point to carefully review your past vaccination protection and any additional vaccinations you may need. Some destinations require proof of vaccination against dangerous endemic diseases such as yellow fever upon entry, and some disease prevention regimes begin well before departure day; Therefore, it is important to be aware of sensible precautions when looking ahead. your journey.
Here are the most common diseases that travelers abroad may encounter, how and when to get vaccinated against them, and how to reduce the risk of illness while on holiday.
In this guide:
Typhoid
Risky areas: Africa, the Indian subcontinent, south and southeast Asia and South America
Grafting method: Vaccination (injection or oral medication) every three years
When to get vaccinated: At least one month before travel
What is typhoid?
Typhoid fever is caused by salmonella bacteria, with fever, diarrhea (or sometimes constipation), and potentially serious complications. Drug resistance can make treatment difficult.
What to know about typhoid vaccine
It needs to be updated every three years. If you hate needles, an oral typhoid vaccine is also available as an alternative.
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hepatitis a
Risky areas: Africa, Asia, Middle East and Central and South America
Grafting method: Injection
When to take: Two weeks before travel
What is Hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver, and complications such as liver failure increase with age. The good news: Since vaccines became available in the 1990s, hepatitis A is now rare in travelers.
What to know about Hepatitis A vaccine
Your first dose protects for one year; The second dose extends this period by more than 20 years.
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Yellow fever
Risky areas: Trinidad in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Grafting method: Injection
When to take: More than 10 days before travel
What is yellow fever?
Yellow fever is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes in Africa and Latin America. The virus, which takes its name from the yellowing caused by liver failure and jaundice, attacks every system in the body. It occurs in sudden, unpredictable outbreaks interspersed with inactivity.
What to know about yellow fever vaccine
Vaccination is given only in officially authorized vaccination centres. Contains live, attenuated virus that may cause adverse effects in older age groups or people with various pre-existing medical conditions; therefore a careful risk assessment is important. Yellow fever vaccination certificates are valid for life but are only valid 10 days after vaccination. Some experts recommend booster doses every 10 years for people at high ongoing risk.
Pro tip: Countries with mosquitoes capable of spreading yellow fever generally require travelers from yellow fever areas to show proof of vaccination as a condition of entry to prevent the spread of the disease; so check the requirements carefully.
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Rabies
Risky areas: Asia, Africa, Central and South America
Grafting method: Three vaccinations for pre-travel vaccination
When to take: At least eight weeks before travel
What is rabies?
Rabies is a fatal viral infection of the brain and nervous system. All bites, licks, and scratches by dogs (or other mammals, including monkeys, cats, and bats) should be considered a potential rabies risk. Rabies occurs in most countries, and animal bites are among the most common reasons why travelers need medical care abroad.
Things to know about rabies vaccine
Ideally, three doses of the vaccine are needed over three weeks. Pre-travel vaccination greatly simplifies the action to be taken in case of a bite while on holiday: cleaning the wound and increasing vaccine doses as soon as possible to prevent infection and speed up healing.
If there is no prior vaccination, treatment is more complex and more urgent: injection into the bite site of rabies immune globulin (RIG), a product that contains antibodies that neutralize the rabies virus and is usually not available in countries with the highest risk. This treatment is followed by an expedited vaccination process, which can throw your travel schedule into chaos revolving around medical appointments.
Pro tip: Never touch animals while traveling. Stray dogs pose a particular danger: they are not pets, can be territorial and should not be approached. Docility may be a sign of rabies, and sick or injured animals should not be handled. And the notorious “monkey temples” should only be observed from afar.
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Malaria
Risky areas: Africa and parts of Asia, Central and South America, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, parts of the Middle East, and some Pacific islands
Grafting method: Tablets or capsules
When to take: Talk to a doctor four to six weeks before travel
What is malaria?
Malaria parasites are transmitted through: Anopheles mosquitoes. Symptoms include fever, chills, muscle and joint aches, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and jaundice; If left untreated, it can cause loss of consciousness, coma, and possibly death. The onset of symptoms may be delayed for weeks and the travel connection may be forgotten. (Read more about rising cases of malaria in our guide to preventing the disease when abroad.)
What to know about anti-malarial treatments
Antimalarial tablets or capsules, the most common of which are Malarone and doxycycline, are usually taken once a day before, during, and after travel.
Pro tip: If you do not feel well when you return home, be sure to tell your doctor that you are away so that he can perform appropriate tests for malaria.
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dengue fever
Risky areas: Africa and parts of Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Pacific islands, and some southern parts of North America. (However, the geographic range of dengue is expanding as warmer temperatures create more favorable conditions; occasional cases occur even in southern Europe.)
Grafting method: Vaccine injection (for high-risk travelers only)
When to take: If you have a high risk of illness, talk to your doctor more than three months before traveling.
What is dengue fever?
Dengue fever is the world’s most common mosquito-borne viral infection. Also known as “bone fracture fever,” symptoms include a rash and pain in the muscles, joints, and behind the eyes. There are four different strains; infection with one strain provides only partial protection against future infection with a different strain. Subsequent infections may be more serious.
What to know about dengue vaccine
A dengue fever vaccine was recently licensed in the United Kingdom and is given in two doses three months apart; if this is not applicable, the initial dose provides 80 percent protection. Some experts are concerned about the possibility of an increased risk of severe dengue fever in the future and therefore recommend vaccination only to travelers who have previously had a dengue infection; so it’s best to talk to your doctor or a travel health professional about any concerns.
Pro tip: The best way to prevent dengue infection is to prevent mosquito bites.
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How do you protect yourself when you travel?
We all want our trips to be relaxing and carefree: taking a proactive approach to health, protection and your own safety is crucial to their success. Follow these tips to stay safe on vacation.
bite prevention
Protecting yourself from insect bites is a good way to avoid many of the diseases detailed above, as well as the discomfort caused by bites. In fact, careful insect precautions can reduce the number of bites by 90 percent or more: used together, bite prevention measures, vaccines and anti-malarial drugs are a powerful combination.
Cover up when outside when mosquitoes bite, and use insect repellents containing 50 percent DEET on clothing and exposed skin (repellents containing picaridin are also effective). Clothing can be sprayed with permethrin, which is safe for humans but contact lethal to insects. Burn mosquito coils to keep mosquitoes away when sitting outdoors. Indoors, in screened or air-conditioned rooms, use spray insecticides along with plug-in insecticides. At night, sleep under a mosquito net fitted with insecticide if mosquitoes may enter your accommodation.
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Food and water hygiene
There is no polite way to say this: hands contaminated with food, water and feces, which directly or indirectly spread diarrheal diseases, viruses, parasites, bacteria and their toxins. The risk is increased by high temperatures and poor hygiene, and it can be hard to avoid, especially when you’re unprepared (On a recent trip to the United States, my pride was severely bruised by a bout of Shigella dysentery, which can be traced to an outbreak caused by contaminated bacteria.) guacamole – although it was tested and treated quickly).
Fresh, thoroughly cooked food is safest to serve hot. Remember to wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer or wipes. Open buffets are quite risky – especially in hot weather and where flies are present; choose freshly cooked foods instead. Avoid salads and raw foods in places where hygiene is poor.
A tough but effective call for hot climates: Avoid ice in drinks and opt for bottled water. To be prepared for worst-case scenarios, travel with a medical kit that includes diarrhea treatment, oral rehydration tablets, and antibiotics.
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Information you should tell your doctor
The best way to ensure you’re protected before any trip abroad is to talk to a doctor and share your upcoming travel plans and planned high-risk activities (such as animal encounters or wilderness excursions). Your doctor can also help determine necessary routine vaccinations, such as those for measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, and more common diseases such as Covid and flu.
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Where can I learn more?
For more information, visit Travel Health Pro and Fit For Travel.
Dr Richard Dawood is a Travel Medicine specialist at Fleet Street Clinic.