Required Vaccinations
Some vaccinations may be required by international law or may be required as a condition to obtain visas.
These currently include Yellow Fever vaccine and Meningococcal vaccine when traveling to certain regions.
Follow the link to search for which vaccinations are recommended for where you will be traveling to.
https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/vaccines
Yellow fever vaccination is followed by the issue of an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, as requirement to enter certain countries in the yellow fever risk areas in Africa and Central and South America.
Bristol Family Physicians is one of the designated Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres in Ontario, by the Public Health Agency of Canada. Yellow Fever vaccination is provided to all eligible travellers whenever the vaccine is in stock.
Proof of vaccination as a condition for entry, is often required for travellers going for Hajj pilgrimage and for seasonal workers to Saudi Arabia. Consult the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health website for current vaccination requirements.
The vaccine may also be given to travellers going to countries and areas where the risk of meningococcal transmission is high. For example, endemic areas in the savanna part of sub-Saharan Africa extending from Gambia and Senegal in the western part two if you pure and Western Eritrea in the eastern part.
Recommended Vaccinations
This is one of the commonest vaccine preventable diseases among travellers. Vaccines may be given to travellers from age 6 months and upwards. Travellers to most countries would benefit from this vaccine, especially to those endemic countries outside of Canada, the USA, Western Europe and Australia.
Influenza vaccine is available for Canadians during the influenza season. Travellers should take the opportunity to update their influenza vaccinations, no matter where they are travelling to. For those travellers to the southern hemisphere, the influenza season peaks between April and October and vaccines produce specifically for the southern hemisphere are not be available in Canada.
It is recommended that travellers to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka be offered the typhoid vaccine. Depending on risks for typhoid, the vaccine may also be offered to travellers to other areas, such as Africa, Latin America, and other parts of Asia.
Travellers' Diarrhea and Cholera Vaccine
Travellers diarrhea is very common among travellers to many parts of the world. Also, travellers to cholera-endemic countries, or countries where known outbreaks of cholera are occurring, and those at significantly increased risk of exposure, like health care providers, humanitarian and relief workers may benefit from the combined travellers diarrhea and cholera vaccine. It may be given to travellers two years of age and older.
This vaccine is recommended for adult travellers 18 years of age and above who may have a high risk of exposure to the Japanese Encephalitis virus, mainly in rural agricultural areas where the mosquito vector is present. Countries and areas at risk for outbreaks include many areas of Asia, specially South East Asia and also parts of the Westin Pacific. Some of the countries include, India, China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Japan.
The risk of rabies to the traveller should be carefully assessed and those found to have a significant risk of exposure could be offered preexposure rabies vaccine. Though rabies could be acquired in any country, many areas are considered to be endemic for rabies, such as countries in Africa and Asia, as well as Latin America. In endemic areas and where the likelihood of adequate and safe postexposure management is low, travellers may be offered the rabies vaccine.
Routine Vaccinations
Travel time is an opportunity to update immunization for those who have not completed their routine vaccinations according to the provincial schedule. All age-appropriate vaccinations are offered to travellers.
Some of the routine vaccinations include:
Tetanus and Diphtheria Vaccine
Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine
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