Three days ago we explained in an entry the importance of vaccinating and vaccinating our children if we are going to travel in our country, if we are going to do it to some European country and, above all, if we are going to do it to some other country that is not part of the European Union (and even more so if it is an African country).
We comment that the most logical thing in each case is to look at the vaccines that are administered in each country and assess the importance of giving them to us. Even if there are doubts, it is advisable to contact the nearest international vaccination center in case we need to go vaccinate or vaccinate our children.
To have a little more information about the most typical vaccines that are put in international vaccination centers or, rather, to learn more about diseases that, if we did not get vaccinated, we could get to suffer (or worse, our children could suffer), we will comment on them below:
Anger
It is a bacterial intestinal disease that it is transmitted by contaminated food and water. The endemic areas are Africa, Central and South America and Southeast Asia. It is a disease of mandatory declaration and, if caught, the person must be quarantined.
The risk of catching the disease is very low, so vaccination is not mandatory for international travel. The best way to prevent it is to take the transmission path into account, that is, to have watch out for the water and the food we eat.
Typhoid fever
It is a bacterial disease that also It is transmitted by contaminated food and water. It is present throughout the world, although in developed countries the incidence is very low. In developing countries, however, it is very frequent. The most affected countries are in Africa, Central and South America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
There are two vaccines, one oral and one injectable, and they are recommended to all travelers who are going to go to the affected countries, with special attention to those who will be outside the areas considered tourist or that they will be in the country.
You have to keep in mind that the effectiveness of the vaccine is limited, so obviously you have to be careful with food and water consumed (and because there will still be a risk of cholera).
Hepatitis A
Unlike the previous two, hepatitis A is transmitted by a virus (that of hepatitis A). It is a virus that is found throughout the world, appearing periodically in the form of epidemics. It is transmitted from person to person and by the intake of contaminated food and drinks.
The areas with the highest incidence are Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the Mediterranean area and Eastern Europe. Spain is a country of medium-low incidence and that is why the vaccine is not usually given to babies, but to adolescents (in Catalonia, for example, it is given at age 12).
It is recommended to travelers under 30-35 years, since at a higher age, lower incidence of the disease, probably because 3-4 decades ago almost the entire Spanish population came into contact with this virus, a fact that no longer happens when the hygienic conditions.
Meningococcal Meningitis
Meningitis is an infectious disease that can occur anywhere in the world, but with greater incidence in sub-Saharan Africa, in Southeast Asia and in the Middle East.
The vaccine is indicated in travelers older than 2 years who are going to travel to endemic areas of meningitis A or C and who are going to be in contact with the population of the area. It is mandatory if you travel to Saudi Arabia during the pilgrimage period to Mecca.
In Spain, the meningococcal meningitis C vaccine is administered to all babies at 2.6 and 15 months (and to all those who have not been vaccinated, until 18 years of age).
Poliomyelitis
Polio is a disease almost eradicated in developed countries thanks to mass vaccination of the entire population (babies are vaccinated at two months). In less developed countries, on the other hand, as there is no vaccine for all polio, it still exists. For this reason the vaccine is recommended to all those people who are going to travel to countries where the disease exists and if they are going to come into close contact with the population. The countries we are talking about are Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Rage
Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system and that it is transmitted by direct contact of some animal species: bite or secretions of some dogs, cats, bats, skunks, etc.
The disease exists in several countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Blangladesh, Bolivia, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Guatemala, India, Mexico, Peru, Sri Lanka, Vietnam or Thailand, where it is a real public health problem.
A previous or subsequent vaccination of the disease can be carried out (if we have come into contact with a suspicious animal). This should be valued according to the type of trip we are going to do. The previous vaccine is usually recommended if the stay in the country of destination is long (more than a month), if you are going to be in rural areas or if you are going to perform special activities (hunting, climbing, etc.).
Tetanus
Tetanus is a disease caused by a toxin from the bacteria Clostridium tetani that enters the body through wounds or erosions of the skin. It is a universal disease, which is found throughout the world and that cannot be eradicated because it is not transmitted from person to person. This makes it the disease whose vaccination is most important: the unvaccinated do not benefit from the vaccination of the rest. That is why it is recommended for everyone, whether they are traveling or not.
Other vaccines
There are other vaccines advisable in special cases. For this reason, cases should be assessed individually taking into account the characteristics of the trip, its duration, the sanitary conditions of the country to which it is traveling, what is the age of the travelers, what their state of health, etc.
These diseases are: summer-summer encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, pneumococcus, diphtheria, influenza, etc.
Malaria or Malaria
It is a widespread disease that affects almost all tropical countries. It is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito. It is a serious disease that can be fatal, so it is important to perform adequate prevention. There is no vaccine, but a medicine that begins to be taken a few days before. Once there you have to take special care to avoid mosquito bites and, above all, see a doctor in case of fever.
Good trip
I know it is a little scary to talk about such serious diseases and their vaccines. It is normal. It is a reality that exists and that many people living in other countries suffer, with the difference that many of them cannot protect themselves because they cannot get vaccinated. It is advisable to anticipate the trip in time to take into account the vaccines that we must administer and administer to our children and act accordingly, since some vaccine requires more than one separate dose in time.
In any case, good tripEnjoy and see you around.
