- Yellow Fever: Required for visa. If it has been ten years since your last immunization, review with a travel clinic whether a booster is indicated.
- Hepatitis A/B: Recommended. Accelerated schedule is four dose series. If you have had either Hepatitis A or B prior then either can be administered separately or in combination with other immunizations (eg. Typhoid and Hepatitis A). Hepatitis B follows the three dose regime. Hepatits A is a two dose series. Once a full series is completed booster may not be needed.
- Typhoid fever: Recommended. One shot only. Consider booster every two years.
- Meningitis: Recommend quadravalent meningococcal vaccine. If you have had menjugate, you may still wish to consider this “broader” shot. Booster may be suggested based on your risk every two to five years. Protection against invasive Group B meningitis may be indicated.
- Malaria: Suggest Malarone orally. To start two days prior to African arrival and take one pill daily while there and for three days after leaving Africa. A prescription is given.
- Traveller’s Diarrhea: Recommend Dukoral (oral vaccine) to do two-three weeks prior to travel. Typically protects for three months. Depending on when you have taken before you may just want to do a booster dose but no harm in full series for best protection. Consider also Florastor 250mg daily (probiotic) to take for 5 days or so prior to travel then daily while away. If you take extra, you can increase up to about five times daily if needed for any diarrhea on travel. A prescription for antibiotics against bacterial diarrhea can be given. Consider travelan from the pharmacy for further traveller’s diarrhea protection.
- Tetanus: Ensure you have had within ten years.
- Routine Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Polio: Ensure you have had primary series. One adult dose booster of Polio may be indicated.
- Influenza: Recommend protection against the influenza virus each year, typically immunization availability October – May.
- Tuberculosis: Recommend knowing your health status prior to the Mission. May be two-step TB skin test prior and one-step TB skin test three months after trip. Alternatively, Quantiferon TB IT Gold bloodwork after Mission may be suggested.
Dr. Aisha Husain in Uxbridge provides a travel health clinic. You can book a consultation by calling +1 (905) 852-1009 x1013.