Sunday, October 16, 2011

Vaccinations for RTW Travel - The Basics

We have just spent a whole week researching, planning and finally getting shots we need for our RTW trip! Here are the basics! For more, read tips on how to lower the costs of vaccinations

'Day 291' photo (c) 2010, Pascal - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/


First, we made sure we were up date on our Routine Vaccinations. We had to locate all the disparate documents to piece together our vaccination history, to make sure we were up to date on our routine vaccinations. Having both grown up in developed countries, both DBB and I already have the below routine vaccinations completed!

ROUTINE VACCINATIONS
  • Tetanus, Dipththeria and Pertussis (Td or Tdap)
  • Polio
  • Mumps, Measles and Rubella
  • Varicella
  • Hepatitis B
Second, using our RTW itinerary developed thus far, we researched and narrowed down the recommended and mandatory vaccinations for the regions that we are traveling to in the next 12 months. We did this research primarily by perusing the CDC Travelers' Health website (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/).

RECOMMENDED VACCINATIONS
  • Influenza/Flu Shot
  • Typhoid (Oral/Injected)
  • Hepatitis A

MANDATORY VACCINATION
  • Yellow Fever
Third, look for a Travel Doctor that can administer the above shots to you. Make sure you leave with the proof the Yellow Fever vaccine, this will be a yellow piece of paper that is signed by the doctor certifying that you have received the vaccine. Make sure to carry this with your passport as this proof is needed for entry into many Latin America and South America countries!

While at the Travel Doctor, make sure you discuss the costs and benefits of other vaccinations, which may or may not apply to you. Bear in mind that some vaccines must be spread over a 28 day period and sometimes, a certain vaccine cannot be administered with another vaccine at the same time. Thus, make sure you consult your Travel Doctor early enough to work out a proper immunization schedule!

OTHER VACCINATIONS
  • Japanese Encephalitis
  • Meningoccocal
  • Rabies
  • HPV
Finally, while at the Travel Doctor's, make sure to get a prescription for useful medication such as Traveler's Diarrhea and Malaria pills! When you pick up these pills at the pharmacy, make sure to pay attention to instructions on how these pills should be used!

USEFUL MEDICATION
  • Traveler's Diarrhea
  • Malaria
After all this, we feel more educated as travelers and will be vigilant about checking the CDC website as we roam the globe!

What vaccines are you getting ahead of your around the world travel? How much did you spend? Check out our 2nd post on immunizations. 

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