Are Travel Vaccines Safe?

  Many travelers come to our clinic asking if the vaccines recommended for travel really are safe. We administer many types of vaccines- both common pediatric vaccines and exotic vaccines required for travel.

With the exception of a few of the rare travel vaccines that will be mentioned later in the article, vaccines are very safe.

Vaccine products for travel are well tested and carefully observed by doctors and nurses worldwide. Many people have heard myths concerning vaccines and years of scientific studies can now settle these worries. The 7 th edition of the Canadian Immunization Guide has information on vaccine safety online at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/cig-gci/index.html

Below are a few of the problems falsely associated with travel vaccines:

• Diabetes is not caused by any vaccine
• Multiple Sclerosis is not caused by the hepatitis B vaccine
• Autism is not related to the measles mumps rubella vaccine or any vaccine
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (S.I.D.S) is not related to any vaccine

If any of these associations were true then the manufacturers of the product would have had legal discourse taken as well as their products being discontinued.

The 7 th Edition of the Canadian Immunization guide has put many myths to rest. For those wanting to know more about specific illnesses that are not caused by vaccines the best place to go is to their parent organizations:

Canadian Diabetes Association (http://www.diabetes.ca/)

Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (http://www.mssociety.ca)

Canadian Autism Association (www. autismtoday.com /articles/ Canadian -Research-Team)

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome( http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/dca-dea/prenatal/sids_e.html )

Moreover, many alternative medicine groups have previously had reservations about immunizations.

The Canadian Chiropractic Association supports the use of vaccines (http://www.ccachiro.org/), as well as the London School of Naturopathy.

Many older travel vaccines that are no longer used had severe side effects. These include the old cholera, old typhoid, anthrax and small pox vaccines.

Modern cholera and typhoid vaccines are now more refined and safe.

Travel clinics still screen travelers for allergies, pregnancy, or illnesses that should not receive certain vaccines.

People with egg allergies should not receive influenza or yellow fever vaccine, and pregnant women should not receive live vaccines (except yellow fever when absolutely necessary).

Both yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis vaccines are known to potentially cause significant allergies or reactions so travelers must be carefully examined before being given these vaccines. All of the inactivated vaccines as a group are all very safe.

These controversies surrounding vaccines have now become resolved. Travelers can now be assured that vaccines given for travel are safe and effective in protecting them from diseases without the concern that they would develop any long term problem from immunizations.

Finally, travelers are given a unique choice in health care, as not every vaccine is relevant or needed. Each traveler has the choice to decide if they should receive a vaccine based on costs, risks of disease, and the severity of the potential side effects of any vaccine.