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The Essential Guide to Travel Vaccinations for Australia

Vaccinations are one of the safest methods of protecting yourself and your loved ones from dangerous and highly infectious diseases that could cause serious disability or even lead to death according to any travel doctor in Mt. Gravatt. While there may be minor side effects, any serious issues from vaccines are extremely rare.

If you are hoping to travel abroad, there are certain vaccines that you may need to take to protect yourself as well as others from these infectious diseases. 

The following vaccinations are recommended before you travel abroad, and these should be completed several weeks prior to travel, according to clinics that provide travel vaccinations in Mt. Gravatt.

– Hepatitis A – Spread through contaminated food and water and recommended for most travellers.

– Hepatitis B – Spread when blood or ****** fluids from an infected person enters the body.

– Japanese Encephalitis – Japanese Encephalitis is also a mosquito-borne disease that is found in rural and exotic regions. If your itinerary includes travel to such countries or areas, then you are required to take the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine. 

– Rabies – Rabies can be spread through the saliva of infected animals such as dogs, rats, monkeys etc. Approaching unknown animals is not recommended as they could attack if they feel threatened, and if an infected animal bites you, you are highly likely to get infected.

Some vaccinations such as Yellow Fever are required not because there is a high risk of you getting the disease but to stop the disease from spreading from one community to another. However, it is a recommended vaccine if you are intending to travel to any region that has reported cases of the disease.

Certain routine vaccinations, given during childhood are also highly recommended before travelling overseas. Some of these vaccines may require booster shots even though you have already been vaccinated for them. These vaccines include:

– MMR Vaccines – This vaccine protects against Measles, Mumps and Rubella which is spread through airborne means when an infected person sneezes or coughs. This disease spreads very rapidly hence the vaccine is highly recommended. For full immunity, a booster shot is required.

– Triple Vaccine – This vaccine protects against Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Whooping Cough). This vaccine needs to be given in several shots at different ages and may also require a booster shot as these diseases are highly infectious.

– Chickenpox – This is a highly infectious disease that can spread easily. A general vaccine and a booster shot are required for this.

– Pneumococal – This disease causes an infection of the lung and it affects people of all ages. Usually, everyone who is over 70 years old should get the vaccine, as well as high-risk people such as those who smoke, those who have a certain chronic disease and people who are immunocompromised. 

– Influenza – The flu is quite common in Australia during the colder months and is an airborne disease that can spread very fast. Complicated cases of the flu can cause hospitalisation and even death hence the vaccine is highly recommended. In Australia, the flu vaccine is usually an annual vaccine.

– Meningitis – Meningitis spreads differently according to its type and there are three types prevalent, bacterial, viral, and fungal. 

– Polio – Polio can cause permanent disability or even death.

Vaccinations are the best protection you could receive from infectious diseases that can be found in various countries although they do sometimes have minor side effects, the benefits of getting the vaccination outweigh these side effects. Cases of serious side effects are exceedingly rare. When travelling overseas, do not forget to check on what vaccinations are required for you, to keep your family and yourself safe.

Through effective vaccinations, many countries around the world have been successful at controlling the spread of these highly infectious and dangerous diseases, and certain countries have even been successful at eradicating some of them from their specific areas. This is why vaccinations are so important, so that you don’t spread any diseases from one country to another, thereby controlling these diseases.

If you need more details regarding vaccinations, you can speak to your local GP or clinic, or any travel doctor in your area, who will be able to give you information regarding these vaccinations and their pros and cons.

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