Traveling to a different place or country can expose you to a multitude of diseases that your body is not prepared for. Nevertheless, this does not mean that you have to cancel your travel plans yet. At present, travelers can protect themselves from endemic diseases by receiving proper vaccinations, depending on where you want to go.
Travel vaccines in New York are recommended to folks who are planning to travel outside the country. There are diseases that are very common in the areas you are traveling too. Thus, it is crucial to visit a clinic and get travel vaccines before you start travelling.
Travel vaccines in NYC basically work in the same manner as your daily vaccines. Vaccines, or immunizations, are solutions that offer immunity for a given disease. The vaccine normally contains a microorganism in its weakened or dead form. Alternatively, the vaccine may contain only a part of the organism, usually an antigen found on the organism’s surface, or one of its toxins. The vaccine elicits a response from the body, stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies against the organism. In this manner, if the body encounters the organism again, it will be able to fight off the microbe. Vaccines are generally safe, with rare occurrences of adverse reactions.
Travel vaccines are specific immunizations given to travelers prior to going to certain areas to protect them from acquiring serious, life-threatening diseases. Travel vaccines are divided into three general kinds: routine vaccines, recommended vaccines, and required vaccines.
Routine Vaccines: These are standard basic vaccinations that are included in most of the health programs. These vaccines are normally given to kids but may require a booster shot in order to provide effective immunity. Some diseases, like poliomyelitis, which have been eradicated in developed countries, may still persist in others. Surprisingly, a lot of adults are not updated with their vaccinations, and some have never been immunized at all, hence, traveling is a good way to get people vaccinated.
Routine vaccines include mumps, tetanus, measles, polio, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis B and H, etc. In certain countries, the vaccines for varicella, rotavirus, human papillomavirus (HPV) and BCG for tuberculosis have also been included in routine immunizations.
Recommended Vaccines: These are immunizations given to people traveling to places where there is a risk of exposure or contacting a specific disease. These vaccines likewise prevent certain illnesses from spreading to another region or country. Most of these vaccines target diseases that are prevalent in crowded areas with bad sanitary conditions. Suggested vaccines consist of cholera, raboes, typhoid fever, especially when traveling to South America. Additional recommended vaccines are immunizations for Japanese encephalitis, especially when travelling to specific Asian countries, and for tick-borne encephalitis, when travelling to Russia and the Baltic states.
Summing Up
Many travel health experts believe that patient education is the key to a successful, disease-free journey. A number of good websites, specifically the dedicated travel health web pages of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), can help you find the nearest travel clinic in your area, alert you to important travel health updates, and can guide you as to what vaccinations you may need for your trip.
