If you’re traveling outside North America or Western Europe, more time and consideration are needed to protect your health. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people travel to countries where diseases such as malaria, typhoid, hepatitis A, polio measles and meningitis still pose serious threats to the unprotected traveler. Extra precautions are needed to safeguard your health.
Call the Salem Office at 618-548-3878 for a travel itinerary or visit: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/
Common Questions & Travel Trips
When should I be immunized?
Some immunization schedules can take up to 8 weeks to complete. It’s important to visit your health-care professional as soon as you know your destination and itinerary. If a single vaccination is needed you should plan on being immunized at a minumum of 14 days before your departure.
What immunizations do I need?
There are three types of immunizations: routine, required, and recommended.
Routine: All adults should update routine immunizations as recommended. An example is tetanus and diphtheria vaccine, which should be administered every 10 years.
Required: Proof of immunization is required to enter a country. A certificate for International travel may be required for certain countries in Africa or South America, you may require a certificate of vaccination against yellow fever. Your vaccination can be administered only in a clinic that has been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) to administer yellow fever vaccine. The Marion County Health Department is a certified Yellow Fever site and has been approved to administer yellow fever vaccine.
Recommended: Depending on your itinerary, planned activities, and current health status, your health-care professional may recommend one or more of these immunizations such as Polio, Influenza, Hepatitis B, Pneumococcal, Hepatitis A or Meningitis.
How do I know what Immunizations are needed for the country I am visiting?
Call the Marion County Health Department’s Salem Office at 618-548-3878 and a nurse will take down basic information about your travel plans. This information will be submitted to the Illinois Department of Public Health who will send back a Travax. The Travax will contain specific information regarding what immunizations are required and/or recommended for your travel destination along with other pertinent health and travel information. The health department can provide typhoid, yellow fever, and all other routine vaccines.