Plan ahead for safe and healthy travel
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 take
several months to receive the adequate number and type of vaccinations.
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.
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.
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: