Why Immunize?
The widespread implementation of childhood vaccination programs has substantially reduced the occurrence of many vaccine-preventable diseases. However, adults may be at risk for these diseases and their complications if they escaped natural infection or have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, measles, mumps, rubella, diptheria, tetanus, varicalla (chicken pox), polio and others.
Who Needs It?
Other vaccine-preventable diseases such as hepatitis B, pertussis (whooping cough), influenza, mpox, pneumococcal disease, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) may pose a risk to people in certain age, occupational, environmental, and life-style groups and those with special health problems.
Some examples of these populations include:
- Pregnant people should receive a single-dose Tdap vaccination between 27 and 36 weeks of each pregnancy, and a flu vaccination at any time during their pregnancy. Some pregnant people should receive a maternal RSV vaccination (Abrysvo), depending on the time of year and stage of pregnancy.
- Travelers to some countries may also be at increased risk of exposure to vaccine-preventable illnesses such as measles, malaria and yellow fever. If you're traveling abroad, learn what the recommended and required vaccinations are for your destination country.
- International students, immigrants and refugees who may be susceptible to these diseases.
- OIder people may be at increased risk for some vaccine-preventable diseases such as RSV, shingles and pneumococcal disease.
Traveler Information
Contact a local travel clinic or your physician immediately when international travel is planned to determine if there are vaccination requirements for your intended destination. It may require several months to receive the adequate number and type of vaccines, toxoids and/or prophylaxis.
International travelers may be encouraged to receive or require additional vaccines, toxoids and/or prophylaxis prior to departure from the United States.
In general, to reduce the risk of infection travelers must:
- Protect themselves from insects;
- Ensure the quality of their food and drinking water; and
- Be knowledgeable about potential diseases in the region to be visited (CDC).
For specific details on these important subjects:
- Visit the CDC Travel Immunization web site; or
- Call the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National Contact Center toll-free at 1-800-232-4636
- Find a travel clinic
Please contact the individual clinic sites to see which travel vaccines they provide and if they can provide overall travelers' health information.
Vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, poliomyelitis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis and invasive disease are routinely administered in the United States, usually in childhood. Routine vaccination against hepatitis B virus infection also is now recommended for all infants beginning either at birth or at two months of age.
If persons do not have a history of adequate protection against these diseases, immunizations appropriate to their age and previous immunization status should be obtained, whether or not international travel is planned (CDC).
Other relevant travel documentation includes requirements for use of a new International Certificate of Vaccination or prophylaxis for Yellow Fever vaccine and a waiver letter from a physician for Yellow Fever.
For additional information for international travel, visits these sites: