Travel vaccines are essential for anyone planning to travel overseas, but the topic can be overwhelming. That’s why we’re here to provide you with a clear and concise rundown of what you need to know.
What are Travel Vaccines?
travel vaccines are designed to protect you from a range of diseases and infections that you may encounter while travelling. The type of vaccine you need will depend on factors such as where you’re travelling to, your medical history, and your age. Getting vaccinated is an important step in safeguarding your health and ensuring that you can enjoy your trip to the fullest.
How Do You Get Vaccinated For Travel?
Most people who get vaccinated before they travel will approach their usual doctor to see if they have a specialised travel doctor clinic. This is different from regular doctor appointments as it requires a doctor with a certain level of knowledge about the right vaccines for travel and the ability to offer advice to patients. In addition, you should expect it to cost more because this is a special service from the regular 15-minute check-ups.
These clinics are hard to book for last-minute appointments, so you should book at least six weeks before your travel date. This will ensure you can get all your shots in time through follow-up appointments and get an appointment during the busier travel months or iron out any problems that may arise through the process.
Travel Vaccines Aren’t Fool Proof
Despite how incredible vaccines are, they are not 100% guaranteed to avoid inflection or disease. Therefore, you should always be cautious whilst travelling, drink clean water and food, clean your hands before and after every meal, and be well-informed of the latest medical news in your travel destination.
Some Vaccines Need Boosters
Even if you are entirely up to date with your shots, you should check with your travel doctor to see if you need any boosters. Nowadays, many older vaccines are now turning the tables and offering lifelong immunity. However, some still need to be refreshed with the emergence of new viral variants, such as Covoid-19.
Some Vaccines May Be Funded
To encourage more people to get vaccinated, governments fund many of the most devastating illnesses with vaccines to combat their effects. If you’re concerned about the cost of all these jabs into your travel fund, you should check if these can be funded and, if you are in the US, if your insurance can cover the cost. Some, if not all, your shots may leave you with zero dollars out of your account, except with the travel doctor’s cost to get them.
Some Vaccines Have Side Effects
Vaccines are safe due to years of trials on human hosts and studying their effectiveness on the ailments they are countering. However, they sometimes have side effects depending on who you are and the infected vaccine. Most will leave with a sore arm, but some hosts may feel tired or have a headache, with all symptoms passing by the next say.
