Staying safe is a key concern when you are travelling. If you want to have a relaxing and fun experience, it’s vital that you look after your health.

These simple travel health tips can help you deal with most eventualities but, depending on where you are travelling to, you may need to have some vaccinations beforehand.

Certain countries require you to have vaccinations against common diseases that we don’t normally find at home. Even if it is not required before you can enter, it’s still a good idea to get vaccines to protect your health.

Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know where they stand with travel vaccinations and they don’t know how to get them if they need them. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about vaccinations and travel:

What Vaccinations Do You Need?

This all depends on the country that you are visiting, but there are some diseases that are worldwide (currently like COVID-19), so it’s a good idea to get vaccinated regardless of your destination. 

Tetanus and diphtheria are both common worldwide, but there is a chance you have already been vaccinated as a child. Check this and if you haven’t, get the vaccines before you go. 

Hepatitis A and B are both common in developing countries, especially those with low levels of sanitation. So, if you are travelling to places like Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, you should get a hepatitis shot. 

Rabies and Typhoid are most common in Africa, Asia and South America. Yellow fever is present in South America and tropical regions of Africa. 

The best way to know what vaccinations you should get is by looking at government guidance in those places. They will tell you if there are any compulsory vaccines and what other ones you should consider anyway. This page has a list of different diseases and which countries require a vaccination. 

When Should You Get Your Vaccinations?

Once you have worked out what vaccinations you need, you’ll probably be wondering when you need to get them done. This depends on the type of vaccination you are getting because some require two jabs.

If this is the case, you need to find out how long you need to wait between the two doses so you can get the first one done early enough.

Get in touch with a medical facility like CBD medical and ask them for some advice on time scales. If you give them the date of your trip, they’ll be able to tell you when you need your first dose. 

Remember, if you need multiple vaccinations, you should start early. It is possible to have them all done at once but that isn’t very pleasant and some vaccinations can make you feel a bit under the weather for a day or two, so it’s best to spread them out a bit. 

If you forget about your vaccines, there is a chance that you won’t be allowed to enter the country. So, start planning now to avoid any disasters.