Customizing Immunization to Travelers

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Immunization of travelers is a very important challenge for travel medicine practitioners. It should be tailored to each particular situation. Destination, duration of stay, activities and individual health, among others, influence these recommendations. The key point is to determine the travel risk. Selection of recommended immunizations should be based on epidemiological evidence, taking into account incidence rates and severity of certain infections. Other factors to influence recommendations include: time, shots, availability, costs, interactions and vaccine side effects. Yellow fever remains the only required vaccine by Who. Special requirements are taken for those pilgrims on Hajj, where vaccination against meningococcal ACWY is mandatory and also polio vaccine is required to some travelers.

Routine vaccines are always updated in pre travel evaluation. Influenza remains one of the most frequent vaccine preventable infections. Recommended immunization for travelers includes common vaccine preventable diseases, as the main food and drinks related infections like hepatitis A and typhoid fever, as well as the life threatening disease rabies. Protection against hepatitis B is high through vaccination and should be considered in long term and frequent travelers. Our experience in Travel Vaccines will be showed.