{"id":615501,"date":"2024-06-16T09:00:48","date_gmt":"2024-06-16T13:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platohealth.ai\/international-travel-dont-forget-your-childs-vaccinations-drugs-com-mednews\/"},"modified":"2024-06-16T12:41:21","modified_gmt":"2024-06-16T16:41:21","slug":"international-travel-dont-forget-your-childs-vaccinations-drugs-com-mednews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/platohealth.ai\/international-travel-dont-forget-your-childs-vaccinations-drugs-com-mednews\/","title":{"rendered":"International Travel: Don’t Forget Your Child’s Vaccinations – Drugs.com MedNews","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

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Medically reviewed<\/a> by Drugs.com.<\/span><\/p>\n

By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter<\/p>\n

SUNDAY, June 16, 2024 — Exploring Europe, taking an African safari, going on a trip to the tropics: In many cases, vaccines are needed for travel, and that’s doubly true for children. <\/p>\n

According to pediatrician Dr. Lauren Nguyen<\/a>, researching what vaccines are needed and preparing well before your family’s departure is crucial.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell my families that it\u2019s best to come in about six weeks prior to international travel,\u201d said Nguyen, who’s based in Torrance, Calif. and is affiliated with the Children\u2019s Hospital Los Angeles Care Network. <\/p>\n

Meet with your child’s pediatrician to review travel plans, figure out what vaccines are required or recommended based on your travel destination and arrange to get any shots needed. That consultation is probably best done with an in-person visit, not a phone call, Nguyen noted. <\/p>\n

Not sure what shots the country you’re visiting requires? Head to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Travelers\u2019 Health website<\/a> for up to date info for countries worldwide.<\/p>\n

“The CDC website tells you about any current outbreaks, as well as the recommended vaccines for that country,\u201d Nguyen said in a hospital news release.<\/p>\n

Besides any special vaccines required by the country you’re visiting, make sure your child is up to date on routine shots for seasonal infections like COVID, flu and RSV.<\/p>\n

Planning ahead is crucial because many vaccines require multiple doses given weeks apart, Nguyen noted. Pediatricians may also not have large supplies of vaccines for diseases like yellow fever or typhoid, and may need time to order them.<\/p>\n

Then there’s time needed for vaccines to give your child’s immune system a full boost. \u201cIt takes about two to four weeks to respond to the vaccine and develop the antibodies,\u201d Nguyen explained.<\/p>\n

And it’s not just about needles: Daily dose malaria pills, for example, need to be started up to two weeks before departure, taken the entire period that you’re in a malaria zone, and then taken for a month after you return home.<\/p>\n

Vaccine schedules also vary by age, Ngyuen noted. Measles<\/a> outbreaks are occuring worldwide with greater frequency, and measles vaccine recommendations are different for babies versus older children.<\/p>\n

Children typically wait to get the first dose of the measles vaccine between the ages of 12 and 15 months and the second dose between 4 and 6 years of age. <\/p>\n

However, for infants \u201cthat changes for international travel,\u201d Nguyen said. \u201cChildren between 6 and 12 months of age should get a first dose of the measles vaccine prior to travel.\u201d That first dose should still be followed up by a second dose between the ages of 4 and 6, she added.<\/p>\n

Hepatitis A is typically contracted through contaminated water or food. Again, routine vaccination recommendations suggest that a child get their first hep A shot between 12 and 23 months of age.<\/p>\n

However, \u201cinfants 6 to 11 months old should be vaccinated when protection against hepatitis A is recommended for the destination,” Nguyen said. And if your baby is very young — under 2 months of age — you probably shouldn’t travel internationally unless it\u2019s absolutely necessary, she added.<\/p>\n

Another key shot is the meningitis A (MenACWY) vaccine. It’s easily transmitted and Nguyen suggests that kids be vaccinated against meningitis A before travel, especially when people are circulating in close quarters, such as on cruise ships. <\/p>\n

Kids ages 16 and older should also be immunized against the meningitis B vaccine.<\/p>\n

Cruise ships can be hotbeds of infection, so don’t forget vaccinations even if you aren’t docking at exotic locales.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people you\u2019ll be on the ship with might have been vacationing all over the world,\u201d she explained. “Vaccines can protect your children from a wide range of illnesses these passengers might bring on board.”<\/p>\n

Besides shots and pills, you can take other steps to keep you and your family safe while abroad. According to Nguyen, these include bringing:<\/p>\n