Immunizations To Seek Before Traveling To A Tropical Country
Before traveling, it is always a good idea to check in with your doctor and see if there are any additional immunizations you need before you go. After all, it is easier to prevent most infectious diseases than it is to treat them. If you're traveling to the Caribbean, there are some particular diseases that you should definitely be vaccinated for before you leave.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a viral disease that causes liver disease, which leads to nausea, fatigue, stomach pain, and yellowing of the skin. It is highly contagious and can be spread through food and water, especially in some very warm Caribbean countries where the virus replicates quickly. You should have been vaccinated for Hepatitis A when you were younger, but your doctor will likely want you to have a booster shot to improve your immunity before you travel to the Caribbean.
Typhoid
Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella typhi. It causes extreme diarrhea, dehydration, and digestive upset, and it is often deadly. Typhoid is easily spread through contaminated food and water, especially in nations with more lax food safety protocols. Lately, there has been concern that some strains of the bacteria are becoming resistant to the antibiotics traditionally used to treat Typhoid. As such, you really don't want to get the disease; a vaccine is absolutely vital before you visit the Caribbean.
Yellow Fever
Mosquitoes are abundant in the Caribbean. They carry a wide array of diseases, including malaria and the Zika virus. There are no vaccines for malaria or Zika, but there is a vaccine for Yellow Fever, another common mosquito-borne disease that causes body aches, internal bleeding, and liver damage. The Yellow Fever vaccine has been around for many decades and has a long track record of effectiveness and safety, so there is no reason not to protect yourself before travel. Some Caribbean countries even require a Yellow Fever vaccine prior to entry.
Rabies
In the United States, rabies in people is rare because most pets are vaccinated. But in Caribbean countries, rabies is passed on to humans far more often. If you will be exploring caves, hiking in the woods, or doing anything else where you might come into contact with wildlife, it's a good idea to be vaccinated for rabies before you go. After all, rabies is 100% deadly, and it's not a nice way to die, either.
Talk to your doctor about these four vaccines before you visit the Caribbean. They can tell you more about each immunization and make sure your shots are scheduled appropriately so you have time to build immunity before you travel.
For more information about immunizations, contact a clinic like Dino Peds.
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