Travel Vaccines You Should Absolutely Know About

During my trip to South Africa, I had a mini panic attack as I was suddenly made aware that I might have to take a couple of vaccinations before the trip, and time was running out. I only had a few days before I fly off.

Lucky for me, South Africa, unlike other parts of Africa, isn’t as dangerous. There is no mandatory vaccinations to take.

Growing up in Southeast Asia, I become used to the idea of travelling around emerging countries. No one really considers the potential dangers of consuming street food or living in a city with poorer sanitation and hygiene, because that’s just the way it is.

Golden Bridge, Da Nang, Vietnam

I suffered the consequences when I got so sick from food poisoning in Vietnam in 2019 that I’ve learned my lesson.

It was only then did I became more aware of the potential dangers of being exposed to countries with poorer sanitation did I take things seriously.

That is why, as a frequent traveller, I’m sharing with you important information about the various travel vaccines in the market that you should probably be getting!

Also, you can check what travel vaccines you require based on the country you’re visiting at the last section.

Travel vaccines every traveller should know about

1. Yellow Fever

Yellow Fever is a deadly viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes that are found in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and tropical South America, and the Caribbean.

Til date, this disease has NO cure. Thank goodness for this vaccine, which can fully prevent you from contracting it.

Mandated by WHO, you cannot enter certain countries in Africa without being vaccinated for yellow fever.

Where is yellow fever found?

Yellow fever has been reported to have infected both humans and monkeys in the following regions:

Central America & The Caribbean

• Panama
• Trinidad

South America

• Argentina – (Misiones and Corrientes Province)
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Ecuador
• French Guiana
• Guyana
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Suriname
• Venezuela

Africa

• Angola
• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cameroon
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Congo, Democratic Republic of the
• Congo, Republic of the
• Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
• Equatorial Guinea
• Ethiopia
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Kenya
• Liberia
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• South Sudan
• Sudan
• Togo
• Uganda

To see detailed maps of the areas where yellow fever is present, visit the CDC website.

If you are travelling to any of the following countries, you should get vaccinated against yellow fever at least 10 days before your trip.

2. Rabies

Do you like playing with stray animals on the streets? THINK AGAIN.

You would be surprised to find that rabies can creep up on you more easily than you think.

It is transmitted through animal bites or scratches from an affected mammal. The most common carriers are dogs, cats, bats, foxes, raccoons, jackals and mongooses.

This fatal viral disease attacks the central nervous system. Symptoms can appear within hours of infection, or up to 12 weeks later. Once symptoms of rabies appear, it’s almost too late to be cured. Infected persons will most likely die from it.

Some of the symptoms include: fever, pain, tingling, or burning at the site of the wound, insomnia, anxiety, partial paralysis, hyperactivity, hallucinations, salivating more than usual, difficulty swallowing.

If treatment begins before the symptoms appear, it is very effective in curing the disease. Therefore, if you get a bite or scratch in affected countries, get medical help right away!

Some of the countries with the highest outbreak of rabies are India and Thailand.

You can be free of the threat of rabies if you have your pet and yourself vaccinated.

3. Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver.

Hepatitis A is transmitted by ingesting food or drink contaminated by sewage-contaminated water, or through direct contact with an infectious person, including sexual contact.

Travellers to countries with poor sanitation and environmental hygiene increases the chances of Hep A infection, such as places with little to no toilets or hand-washing facilities.

Where is Hepatitis A found?

While Hepatitis A can be found all over the world, it is most common in:

• sub-Saharan and northern Africa
• the Indian subcontinent (in particular Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan)
• some parts of the Far East (excluding Japan)
• the Middle East
• South and Central America

The infection is least common in Scandinavia, Western Europe, Japan, New Zealand. Australia, and North America.

How to prevent Hepatitis A?

• As well as being vaccinated to prevent Hepatitis A infection, reduce the risk of contracting the Hepatitis A by:
• Washing your hands after visiting the toilet and before touching food
• If soap and water is not available, using hand sanitizer to clean hands
• Washing fresh food in clean water, peeling it and cooking it thoroughly
• Drinking clean, potable water, not just tap water

As Hepatitis A is often transmitted through contaminated water and food, avoid consuming these in high risk areas:

• Unpasteurized dairy produce
• Raw fruits and vegetables, including salads and smoothies
• Peelings from fruits and vegetables
• Raw or undercooked (rare) meat and fish
• Fresh or cooked food that has been left out or exposed to flies, including buffets
• Food from street vendors, unless it is cooked thoroughly in your sight, and served hot on clean plates
• Unboiled tap water
• Ice made from tap water

4. Typhoid

Typhoid fever (also known as “typhoid”) is an infection that is caused by a specific strain of bacterium known as ‘salmonella typhi’. The bacteria can contaminate food and water, which is the primary way of spreading the infection to others.

The bacteria usually enters the body through the mouth, easily through consuming contaminated food, water or milk. A human carrier, who may be employed in handling or processing food or water, may trigger the further spread of the disease.

Typhoid infection can also be spread by flies. The prevention of typhoid fever is fairly straightforward. An oral typhoid vaccine should be administered one week before the trip. Every other day take one capsule, for a total of four capsules.   

What travel vaccinations do I have to take for which country?

I’ll share a couple of popular countries that require vaccinations below. You’ll be surprised at how easily one can overlook vaccinations in these commonly-visited places!

Thailand

• Measles
• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid – CDC recommends this vaccine for most travellers, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
• Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine
• Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
• Polio vaccine
• Flu shot

Depending on where you’re going and what you’re doing, you might want to consider taking the following vaccines:

• Hepatitis B – You can get hepatitis B through sexual contact, contaminated needles, and blood products, so CDC recommends this vaccine if you might have sex with a new partner, get a tattoo or piercing, or have any medical procedures.
• Malaria – you can get it through mosquito bites
• Rabies
• Japanese Encephalitis – You may need this vaccine if your trip will last more than a month. You should also consider this vaccine if you plan to visit rural areas in Vietnam or will be spending a lot of time outdoors.
• Yellow Fever – Required if travelling from a country with risk of YF virus transmission

Vietnam

• Measles
• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid – You can get typhoid through contaminated food or water in Peru. CDC recommends this vaccine for most travellers, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
• Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine
• Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
• Polio vaccine
• Flu shot

Depending on where you’re going and what you’re doing, you might want to consider taking the following vaccines:

• Hepatitis B – You can get hepatitis B through sexual contact, contaminated needles, and blood products, so CDC recommends this vaccine if you might have sex with a new partner, get a tattoo or piercing, or have any medical procedures.
• Malaria – you can get it through mosquito bites
• Rabies
• Japanese Encephalitis – You may need this vaccine if your trip will last more than a month. You should also consider this vaccine if you plan to visit rural areas in Vietnam or will be spending a lot of time outdoors.

South Africa

• Measles
• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid – You can get typhoid through contaminated food or water in Peru. CDC recommends this vaccine for most travellers, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
• Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine
• Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
• Polio vaccine
• Flu shot

Depending on where you’re going and what you’re doing, you might want to consider taking the following vaccines:

• Hepatitis B – You can get hepatitis B through sexual contact, contaminated needles, and blood products, so CDC recommends this vaccine if you might have sex with a new partner, get a tattoo or piercing, or have any medical procedures.
• Malaria – you can get it through mosquito bites
• Rabies
• Yellow Fever – Required if travelling from a country with risk of YF virus transmission

Peru

• Measles
• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid – You can get typhoid through contaminated food or water in Peru. CDC recommends this vaccine for most travellers, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
• Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine
• Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
• Polio vaccine
• Flu shot

Depending on where you’re going and what you’re doing, you might want to consider taking the following vaccines:

• Hepatitis B – You can get hepatitis B through sexual contact, contaminated needles, and blood products, so CDC recommends this vaccine if you might have sex with a new partner, get a tattoo or piercing, or have any medical procedures.
• Malaria – you can get it through mosquito bites
• Rabies

For a full list of countries, you can check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’ site.

Where to take travel vaccines in Singapore?

I’ve recently discovered this travel clinic, Clarihealth, that originated in the UK. Newly open in Singapore, I was quite assured about getting vaccinations done here as this clinic specialises solely in travel vaccinations – they only do vaccinations and nothing else.

According to the country you’re visiting, they will provide patients with a comprehensive travel brief based on WHO’s (World Health Organisation) and CDC’s (Communicable Disease Centre) recommendations.

Here are some of the prices of the travel vaccines that they provide:

• Yellow Fever – S$195
• Rabies – S$210
• Hepatitis A – S$80
• Typhoid – S$35

If there’s anything you take away from this article, it’s this:

Prevention is better than cure; don’t wait til it’s too late to get protected!