Residents of the borough of Windsor are well served by the Travel Clinic. The highly educated and well-travelled residents are likely well aware of the importance vaccines. The Travel Vaccines are the ones you are advised to take before you travel to specific regions of the world that are known to have a high incidence of certain diseases. Travel Vaccines, are so called as they give you protection against diseases endemic to specific regions. Vaccines not only tend to prevent infections, they serve to subdue the intensity of the after-effects of the infection, if per chance you do contract the disease due to your bad luck or risky behavior!
Many diseases have no cure; others are treatable. Why take a chance when vaccines are available and you can prevent infections and also improve your chances of recovery? All you need to do is take vaccination doses as prescribed; plan to do so sufficiently (2 months) ahead of travel date.
WHO has listed these diseases preventable by vaccination:
- Congenital Rubella Syndrome
- Polio, diphtheria & tetanus
- Japanese encephalitis
- Measles
- Mumps
- Neonatal tetanus
- Pertussis
- Poliomyelitis
- Rubella
- Total tetanus
- Yellow fever
Contrary to myths, vaccines never cause a disease or any of the disease related complications. You should know that vaccines are safe products. Before being released, a vaccine undergoes extensive four phase trial throughout the world. At Windsor Travel Clinic you get to consult a doctor who will advise the correct form and the schedule of doses. The doctor will check with you the health status and prior history of vaccinations. Adults, children, infants or pregnant women are given appropriate doses and form of the vaccine – to be taken orally or as an injectable.
People take different vaccines in the normal course. However if you intend to visit regions with endemic diseases, you must plan to protect yourself with one or more of the following Travel Vaccines:
- Cholera – 2 Doses
- Hepatitis A- 1 Dose
- Hepatitis A and B – 3 Doses
- Hepatitis A and Typhoid – 1 Dose
- Hepatitis B – 3 Doses
- Japanese Encephalitis – 2 Doses
- Measles, Mumps, and Rubella – 1-2 Doses
- Meningitis ACWY – 1 Dose
- Polio, diphtheria & tetanus – 1 Dose
- Rabies – 3 Doses
- Tick-borne Encephalitis – 3 Doses
- Typhoid – 1 Dose
When you take a vaccine, your immune system gets strengthened; your body’s defense is improved as its resistance to specific infections gets built up. Vaccine triggers your immune system to generate antibodies – this is exactly what your body would do when actually exposed to a disease. Vaccines most of the time contains inactivated (dead) or live-attenuated (weakened) forms of germs. The germs may be bacteria or viruses. Other than these two types, there are these vaccines: Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines, Toxoid vaccines and Viral vector vaccines.
To summarize, travel vaccines are necessary when traveling to certain regions with endemic diseases. Make an appointment or Burnham Health Pharmacy has a Travel Clinic Fact sheet where you will book the appointment with a doctor at Windsor travel clinic 8 to 10 weeks before the actual date of departure. Based on your state of health or the state of health of your children, the doctor will advise you the regimen of correct vaccines. You should remember that the schedule of recommended doses could run over a period of two months.
