Travel Vaccinations

If you’re busy planning an international trip, don’t forget to also take precautions to prevent infectious diseases. Vaccines are available to prevent certain infections. Examples include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever and meningitis, among others.

If you’re traveling to a country where infectious diseases like malaria are present, inform your Mercy doctor. If you’re unsure, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website and search by destination, because medical concerns do vary by country, activity and length of stay. It’s best to plan ahead at least six weeks before traveling.  

Vaccines aren’t available for every potential disease a traveler can pick up while overseas, so prevention is important. Preventive antibiotics will depend on traveling destination, because antibiotic resistance is present in some areas, and individual immunization history may require booster vaccines.

Here are other simple disease-prevention tips:

• Avoid mosquitoes by applying repellant, covering the skin with long-sleeve shirts and pants, and avoiding the outdoors during dawn and dusk hours.
• Only eat thoroughly cooked food served hot from a reputable restaurant. Wash or peel all fruits and vegetable before consuming.
• Wash your hands often and keep them clean with hand sanitizer when clean water and soap are unavailable.