Going Abroad This Holiday Season? Book Your Travel Medicine Appointment Today

The last few months of the year likely bring a lot of holiday gatherings with faces you don’t get to see throughout the year. Often, this means going on a trip to see loved ones. Sometimes it’s a short jaunt across a state or two, but it could mean long car rides, flights, and other modes of transportation outside the country. 

According to data from the American Automotive Association (AAA), just over 115 million people made these journeys last year alone. If you plan to be among those making the trip this season, you want to care for your health there and back. 

One way to stay healthy is to keep up with any vaccinations you’ll need for your trip.  We can help make sure you’re protected from regional diseases wherever you go.

For vaccinations, whether seasonal, situational, or for traveling abroad, our medical team at Michigan Avenue Primary Care in Chicago, Illinois can help.

How vaccines work

Your immune system is designed to protect your body from viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens that cause infections and make you sick. Vaccines bolster your immune system by teaching it to recognize and fight off these potential dangers through exposure to a harmless strain. 

When the harmless strain is shot into your body, your white blood cells go into action by creating antibodies to fend it off. If you’re exposed to the virus or bacteria later, your system neutralizes it with those antibodies.

This process also helps your body fight against viruses that can adapt and create new strains, which is why it’s recommended that you get the influenza (flu) vaccine every year. 

There are specific vaccines you get at different points in your life depending on your age and overall health, and some require multiple shots over the course of a few months.

Vaccines needed for traveling overseas

The vaccines you need for travel vary depending on your destination. Here’s a list of what’s required before you go:

Routine vaccinations

You need to be up-to-date on all vaccinations appropriate for your age and health, including flu, COVID-19, tetanus, and hepatitis A and B. Most of these are common vaccines to get around this time of year and shouldn’t be a problem.

Regional vaccinations

There are several diseases more common in other parts of the world that you want to be protected against, including cholera, rabies, typhoid fever, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis. These can be contracted through certain wild animals, mosquitoes, and contaminated water.

Another mosquito-borne virus to get treated against is malaria, but vaccines don’t prevent it. Be sure to get antimalarial medications if you’re going to a country where this disease is a risk.

Being thoroughly vaccinated before you travel will make the journey there and back safer for everyone and allow you to enjoy the holidays in good health. 

To make sure you’re up-to-date on all vaccines and medication you need to travel, make an appointment with our team at Michigan Avenue Primary Care today. Contact us by phone or online.