Holidays are the most anticipated period of the year for everyone. After all, nothing better than being able to enjoy a few days of rest on a national or international trip, isn’t it? But did you know that some places require vaccines to travel ?
That’s right. When planning your trip, you shouldn’t just be concerned with the details of transportation and accommodation reservations. Vaccination is mandatory for those who are going to visit tropical regions like Brazil or who have an outbreak of a disease like measles. In some countries, your entry may even be denied if you do not present the International Vaccination Certificate.
If you want to enjoy your trip without stress , find out why you should get vaccinated before your trip and check out a list of the vaccines you need to take to travel here in Brazil or abroad. Come on?
Why do you need to get vaccinated before traveling?
The requirement for vaccination carried out by many countries is a preventive measure to prevent travelers from getting diseases and not necessarily because the travel destination presents some risk of contamination.
However, the vaccine also helps to protect against contagious or endemic diseases , that is, typical of a region. This care is necessary especially for people visiting rural or jungle destinations in countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
What is the list of mandatory travel vaccines?
The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) recommends that all travelers present their vaccinations up to date, especially those that prevent diseases , such as the ones we will show below.
Yellow fever
This is the only mandatory vaccine in the world . The disease has no cure and is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito , which is also responsible for transmitting other diseases such as dengue, the zika virus and chikungunya. In Brazil, it is highly recommended to get vaccinated against yellow fever if you travel to:
- all states in the Midwest and North regions;
- extreme south of Bahia, Maranhão and Piauí;
- Minas Gerais and São Paulo.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has a list that informs all countries that require vaccination against yellow fever to allow visitors to enter the country. And be careful: if your trip is abroad, take the full dose of the vaccine, as it guarantees immunization for life.
Tetanus
Countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe recommend vaccination against tetanus, an infectious disease that can be fatal. It is recommended especially for people who practice outdoor sports or walks in the countryside, situations in which cuts and injuries can occur. There are two vaccines that protect against tetanus: the tetanus and the double vaccine , which also protects against diphtheria.
Hepatitis A and B
These vaccines are recommended to travelers from all continents because both hepatitis A and B have a high risk of contamination . In type A, contagion occurs via contact with sick or contaminated materials.
Hepatitis B is usually transmitted by blood or sexual contact. To protect your health , you need to plan ahead, as immunization for this disease requires the application of 3 vaccines in a period of 6 months.
Rage
The rabies vaccine is not used only after contact with the virus and can be used to prevent rabies, a disease transmitted by the saliva of contaminated animals. Immunization is recommended in countries in Asia, Africa and Europe.
Measles
Recently, the world has seen a new outbreak of measles in the United States and Europe that has spread to other countries because of travelers who were not immunized. The triple viral vaccine is one of the protective measures against measles and two other highly contagious diseases, rubella and mumps.
Children from one year old take a first dose and then a booster until the second year of life. Children over 2 years old and adults can take both doses of life with a minimum interval of 30 days.
These are the main vaccines recommended to travelers here in Brazil and abroad. In the case of international travel, be sure to contact the consulates and embassies of the countries you intend to visit to verify the need for a new vaccine .
You can also follow the WHO website . There is a constantly updated list to inform travelers about the required vaccines.
What is the International Vaccination Certificate for?
The International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (CIVP) is a vaccination card that follows the international health protocol. It is only necessary to provide it if your trip has as a connection or destination a country that requires the presentation of the document, such as:
- Americas: Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela;
- Africa: South Africa and Egypt;
- Oceania: Australia;
- Asia: Singapore, China, India, Indonesia and Thailand.
You can order the CIVP via the Internet at the Federal Government Services Portal . In this case, the certificate is issued 10 days after the request. If you want to streamline the process, look for a Traveler Orientation Center closest to your residence.
How long before the trip should you get the vaccine?
Anvisa’s recommendation is that you take any of these vaccines between 6 and 8 weeks before your trip so that the protective effects begin to act. If it is not possible to respect this time, the maximum period for vaccination is 4 weeks before enjoying your trip.
And who can’t get vaccinated?
There are people who cannot get vaccinated because they are allergic to any of the components of vaccines. To travel to regions that require immunization, a doctor should be consulted to issue a certificate of vaccination exemption. The model of the document, which must be written in French or English, is available on the Anvisa website.
You have seen that it is important to get some vaccines to travel, both to protect yourself and to avoid the risk of having your trip interrupted. Even if it is here in Brazil, take advantage of the check-up period to update your vaccination card. In addition to ensuring protection against these diseases, you also streamline documentation for the next trip.
