Travel vaccination

In order to avoid infectious diseases, travellers to risk areas should turn to their own family physician or travel medicine office at least 4 weeks before the trip, for a medical examination and, if necessary, to get vaccinated. Information on other preventive measures (e.g. hygiene rules, medications) is also available from the aforementioned sources. It is worth bearing in mind that in the case of several vaccines, it will take some time before immunity is acquired. For example, when visiting yellow fever risk areas in Africa and South America, travellers should be vaccinated against yellow fever at least 10 days before the start of their trip.

Every passenger should know if they have been vaccinated according to the vaccination schedule of their year of birth. A traveller should be vaccinated against mumps, measles and rubella with two doses of the MMR vaccine, poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis), and should have been (re)vaccinated against diphtheria and tetanus within the past 10 years.

Additional preventive measures (including vaccination and prophylaxis recommendations, prevention of insect bites) arise from the epidemiological situation in the country of destination.