Taking a vacation outside the U.S.? You may need a vaccine or two beforehand. What to do?
Plan ahead. Schaffner recommends getting any key vaccines at least a month before travel, says Schaffner. This gives you time to build up immunity.
Get up to date on regular vaccines. This is important for those such as flu and COVID-19, says Schaffner. The CDC also recommends making sure you’re fully vaccinated against measles because cases are rising around the world.
Check specifics. You’ll want to know whether any additional vaccines are advised for a particular country and, if so, where to get those. For popular international spots such as Europe, Canada, and Mexico, you don’t usually need more vaccines than you normally get. However, certain other locales may require vaccines you don’t typically get. For example, the CDC recommends the typhoid vaccine for most people who will be traveling to China. You might also consider getting the vaccine to protect against tick-borne encephalitis if you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors or in forested areas in China. You can get more info on the vaccines that are advised for a number of areas around the world at the CDC website.
