Precaution

Vaccinations

Aim to start your vaccinations at least four weeks before you are due to depart, otherwise you may miss out on full protection against some important risks. Pick a specialist travel clinic familiar with the kind of trip you plan to undertake, that can tailor advice to your exact needs.

Everyone should be protected against tetanus, diphtheria and polio – if you've not had a booster for more thanten years it should be updated.

Typhoid - The injected typhoid vaccine is delivered in a single dose and causes fewer reactions than its predecessor.Typhoid is a risk in all developing countries – the highest risk is in Asia – especially the Indian subcontinent. It is spread by contaminated food and water. The vaccine provides protection for three years.

Hepatitis A - Best administered two weeks before travel. The initial dose provides ony year's protection and a booster within 6-12 month extends the protection to ten years. A combined typhoid and hepatitis A vaccine is also available.
Hepatitis A is by far the commonest, serious vaccine-preventable risk in travellers – the risk is widespread in hot countries and throughout the developing world. It can make people really ill: at the age of 40, infection carries a 2 per cent risk of liver failure, and the risk goes up with age. Even a mild case can mean weeks off work. Vaccines are safe, effective and very long-lasting, and this is one vaccine that every traveller should have.

Yellow fever occurs in tropical parts of Africa and South America. You may need to be vaccinated as a condition of entry (a certificate may be required) or simply for your personal protection. Yellow fever does NOT occur in Asia. Many Asian countries do have mosquitoes capable of spreading the disease, and are therefore very keen to keep yellow fever out. So, if you are travelling to Asia having recently been to Africa or South America, you may need to produce a vaccination certificate. The certificate needs to be renewed every ten years.

The Rabies vaccine consists of three doses spread out over three weeks before you go, with booster doses if you are unlucky enough to be bitten by an animal on your travels. If you’ve not been vaccinated before you go, however, treatment following a bite becomes much more complicated and difficult to obtain: a dose of antiserum (immune globulin) is then also needed. It’s quite common to be bitten, licked or scratched by animals abroad – the risk is especially high from street dogs in Asia, Africa and Latin America. If you travel frequently, or are heading away from the beaten track, make sure you are protected. (Everyone in the Big Earth team is.) A three-dose course of vaccine lasts at least 3 years.

Meningitis is a risk in many parts of the world, but particularly in the “meningitis belt” of sub-Saharan Africa, corresponding to the Sahel. It is spread by close contact with local people. Take specialist advice to see if you need it. The vaccine protects for approximately 5 years.

Cholera can now be prevented with a drinkable vaccine, that provides good protection for at least 2 years. Cholera is less of a risk these days, unless there’s an outbreak in progress, but the vaccine is still a valuable precaution for travellers heading far from the beaten track, or those planning to visit refugee camps or victims of natural disasters. As a “side-effect”, the vaccine also protects against some types of bacteria that cause intestinal infections (enterotoxigenic E. coli or ETEC) – and some travellers use this vaccine for that reason.

Japanese encephalitis occurs in much of Asia – although uncommon, it is a serious infection of the central nervous system that can cause lasting disability. A safe new vaccine (Ixiaro) has just been licensed, and should be considered by anyone heading for rural Asia. The By Any Means 2 team have all been protected.

Tick-borne encephalitis is a viral infection of the brain and nervous system, spread by ticks in central Europe. During Long Way Round, Charley and Ewan spent many nights camping in some of the areas with the highest risk. Vaccination is important for anyone likely to be exposed.

Flu: Don’t forget that in the tropics, flu is a year-round phenomenon. Having a flu vaccination every year is a valuable precaution.

Other vaccinations: your childhood vaccines should be complete and up to date – if you are in doubt, it is easy enough to have a blood test to confirm this. It becomes more important to know that you really are protected against things like measles, mumps, and chickenpox, if you will be spending a long time away, and have a job to do!

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