WASHINGTON 鈥斅燩lanning a summer vacation is about much more than booking hotels and making plane reservations, especially when heading out of the country.
Travelers聽also need to safeguard their聽health before taking聽off by getting the proper immunizations.
The first order of business聽is to make sure all routine vaccines are up-to-date, such as measles, mumps, rubella and tetanus. Then, take care of any vaccinations specifically recommended for the specific destination.
“Coming in early and having that done is real important,” said Pamela Prindle, director聽of聽the 聽in D.C.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends checking in with a travel clinic or personal physician at least four to six聽weeks before聽international travel.聽 That gives you time to complete any vaccine series and let the聽body build up to full immunity.
Prindle’s clinic is one of many in the area that can provide specific guidance for travelers heading abroad, in addition to the information provided on the .
“We have got constant data on new outbreaks throughout the globe and what recommendations are being changed,” she explained, adding that a travel clinic can also offer advice on matters such as聽which malaria pills and antibiotics work best in specific聽areas.
Some countries require verification of vaccination against yellow fever. That聽vaccine can only be given by a registered provider and must be administered at least 10 days before travel. Once vaccinated, a traveler gets a聽stamped vaccine certificate to present upon arrival.
Yellow fever shots聽are聽usually considered valid for 10聽years, though some countries聽believe one injection is enough to offer lifetime protection.
Other聽travel vaccines vary in the amount of protection they provide, so it is always a good idea to聽keep a record of all immunizations and expiration dates. For example, a typhoid shot is good for聽only two years, while a tetanus booster will last for 10.
Vaccinating children is a bit different than adults, because they may be in the midst of receiving their recommended childhood vaccinations.
Sometimes, doctors may speed up the immunization schedule for children who are traveling and vaccinate them early to provide better protection against, for example, an outbreak of measles at their destination. And there are some vaccines that are not recommended at all聽for infants or small children.
Hepatitis A, for instance, is not given to children聽under one year of age, and a yellow fever shot cannot be administered until a baby reaches 9聽months.
Prindle says typhoid is the most common vaccine given to kids going to developing countries. The inject-able form can be given to children over the age of 2, while the oral vaccine is only聽 for those who are at least 6 years old.
