Getting ready before you travel
A few weeks before a trip or pilgrimage, it is best to ask about vaccines and preventive medicines. This article explains when to act, what information to bring, and which symptoms to take seriously after you return.
Most of us pack the night before, but some health tasks take time. The CDC and the NHS both repeat one thing: talk to a doctor or travel health specialist at least four to six weeks before you leave. This article explains why, and what to bring.
Why four to six weeks?
Because some vaccines need several doses, and some need time for the body to build protection. The NHS says that if you leave vaccination to the last minute, you may not be fully protected when you travel. A medicine such as malaria tablets also has to be started before the trip (CDC).
If you have less time, still talk to a doctor.
What needs to be checked?
- Routine vaccines. The CDC and NHS both stress that routine vaccines (such as measles) should be up to date.
- Vaccines for your destination. These depend on the country and sometimes the region you are visiting. The CDC names examples: cholera, typhoid, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis and yellow fever. Yellow fever vaccine is given only at authorised centres.
- Preventive medicines, such as malaria medicines.
- Some vaccines are free and some are paid for (NHS). Coverage and cost differ by country, so ask the clinic.
- Vaccination certificate. Sometimes an international certificate is required (NHS).
For any destination you can also look at its page at the CDC or TravelHealthPro (NHS) to see the risks and the usual vaccines. If your trip is religious, ask separately about the conditions and rules for that destination.
What should you bring?
The CDC and NHS recommend giving this information to the adviser:
- destination, route and dates of travel
- activities (for example rural areas, trekking, working with animals)
- your official vaccination card and a list of earlier vaccines
- all the medicines you take
- illnesses, a weak immune system, pregnancy, or a severe earlier allergy to a vaccine
If you have a fever or are ill, the NHS says not to have a travel vaccine and to wait until you are better.
After you return
An infection can be picked up during travel and show up after you come back (CDC). If you become ill after a trip, especially with a fever, contact a doctor. Tell them:
- where you went and on what dates
- where you stayed, and what you ate and drank
- any contact with animals
- cuts or insect bites
- any treatment you received while travelling
- tattoos or body piercings
If the cause of the fever is not clear, the CDC says to ask for a referral to an infectious disease or travel medicine doctor. If you were treated in another country, tell your doctor, because the CDC says this matters for decisions about treatment.
When to seek urgent care
If after a trip you have a fever with confusion, very fast breathing, blue or mottled skin, a stiff neck with a severe headache, or a rash that does not fade when pressed, call 115 (Iran’s emergency number).
In short
If you have a trip ahead, get advice a few weeks early and have your information ready. After a trip, do not brush off a fever, and tell the doctor your travel history. Which vaccine or medicine you need is for the doctor to decide. This article does not say this office gives vaccines.