Travel Vaccinations: Preparing for Safe Overseas Travel Post-COVID-19

– It takes at least 14 days for immunity to develop.
– Yellow fever vaccine for Africa, Central and South America
– Meningococcal vaccination is mandatory when going to Saudi Arabia.

– Antimalarial drugs interfere with vaccines
– It is best to visit the hospital at least 6 weeks in advance.

Following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, overseas travel is on the rise. To travel safely, it is best to prepare before you leave to avoid infectious diseases in the country you are visiting. In particular, countries where infection is a problem during travel are mostly developing countries, so there is little research on them, and it is difficult to know the differences in rates frequency by region, so care must be taken. With the help of Seong Yeol-joong, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Busan Medical Center, we learned about vaccinations related to traveling abroad.

In order to travel safely without contracting local infectious diseases while traveling abroad, it is necessary to get the vaccine at least two weeks before your departure. Seong Yeol-joong, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Busan Medical Center, provides medical consultations.

Avoidance methods are ideal for preventing illness while traveling, but they require extensive medical knowledge, making them difficult for the general public. There are advantages and disadvantages to using medicines and vaccines, but highly effective vaccines should be used whenever possible. Immunity usually develops about 2 weeks after vaccination, so it must be completed at least 2 weeks in advance to achieve sufficient effect. Depending on the vaccine, you may be given several doses. In particular, when taking antimalarial medication, it may affect the effectiveness of the vaccine, so it may be necessary to leave a certain time between vaccinations. Therefore, it is necessary to visit the hospital at least 6 weeks in advance.

Related vaccinations include those required to enter the travel destination, those recommended for vaccination as the risk of infection is higher than at the house, and those who are given regardless of travel. Yellow fever and meningococcal vaccinations are required to enter the destination. A yellow fever vaccine is required when visiting Africa and Latin and South America, and a meningococcal vaccine is required when traveling to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and a vaccination certificate must be submitted for both.

The following issues apply when traveling abroad due to the high risk of infection. Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended when traveling to all parts of the developing world, especially for those under 40 years of age. The typhoid fever vaccine is recommended when traveling to Southeast Asia, the meningococcal vaccine is recommended when traveling to central Africa, and the pertussis vaccine is recommended when traveling to South America, Mexico and Asia for more than a month. Influenza vaccination is required for high-risk groups traveling to the Southern Hemisphere this summer. If it is not a regular trip, the tick-borne encephalitis vaccine is recommended when going to Russia or Eastern Europe, and the cholera vaccine is recommended when working abroad. -volunteer at a refugee shelter.

Hepatitis A, typhoid fever, meningococcus, and Japanese encephalitis, which are diseases where immune status is confirmed or vaccinated before departure, occur in Korea, but the risk increases when you travel to developing countries. Streptococcus pneumoniae, influenza, tetanus-diphtheria combination vaccine, hepatitis A and B, whooping cough, measles-mumps-rubella, and polio vaccines are dangerous even in Korea, so it is best to vaccinate receive according to the vaccination schedule regardless of travel. There is still no effective vaccine for malaria, so you need to take preventive medicines depending on the area you are traveling to.

Busan Medical Center Manager Seong Yeol-joong said, “Many people are worried about vaccinations, but the vaccines currently available have undergone sufficient testing and have been recognized as safe and effective. However, depending on the type of vaccine and the condition of the recipient, a rash, pain, swelling, itching, headache, muscle pain, etc. may occur at the injection site. “Most symptoms are mild and temporary, but if you have moderate or severe symptoms, you should contact a medical professional. ”

Also, if you have had an adverse reaction after receiving a vaccine in the past, you should not receive the same vaccine. If you are pregnant, taking immunosuppressants, or have a disease that significantly reduces immune function, you should not receive live vaccines. Manager Seong Yeol-joong explained that if you are being treated for a serious disease, it is best to get vaccinated after your symptoms have sufficiently recovered.