International Vaccination Centers in Aragon: Protecting Travelers from Endemic Diseases and Compulsory Vaccinations

Los three international vaccination centers in Aragon they recover the rate of inoculations prior to the pandemic and expect some 7,500 travelers to pass through the service this year. He Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on its websitereports the compulsory vaccinations and recommendations for traveling to each country, as well as information on security, documents and necessary visas.

Given the approach of summer, it is recommended make an appointment well in advance to receive vaccinations well in advance of the trip. Each of the three provincial capitals has a reference center.

The encephalitis is an example of endemic disease of which every year Aragonese who travel to rural areas of Central Europe are vaccinated. “It is transmitted by a tick. It prevails above all in spring and summer, in rural areas,” explains Javier Castillo, head of the Health programs section of the Provincial Health Sub-directorate.

It is not the only area or disease that is pending in vaccination centers. The yellow feverone of the most common pathologies against which vaccination is given in Aragon and the rest of the country, is common in Africa, Asia or South America. Visiting these areas of the planet requires prior treatment, but it must also be done when traveling to some areas of Europe, such as Germany.

Objective of vaccination: not to contract the disease and not to import it

“There everyone who goes to the countryside is vaccinated and he goes hiking, so I was not surprised for this reason”, comments a man from Zaragoza who is going to Germany for a few days and who has just been vaccinated with his wife and son.

In referral centers, almost a third of the visits are for travelers returning to their country of origin to visit family or friends. “I want to make sure that I am not going to have a disease that is going to contaminate me before I return. Also at the airport in my country, sometimes, they ask us for the vaccine,” says a man.

Prevention in all cases is twofold: Not getting a disease and not importing it. For this, it is important to know that the vaccines must be given 15 days or a month before leaving, so forecasting is essential.