Travel Clinic North Sydney - Travel Vaccination McMahons Point

Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis Adult travellers should be adequately protected against tetanus before departure, particularly if their risk of sustaining tetanus-prone wounds is high or there could be delays in accessing health services where they can receive tetanus toxoid boosters safely if required. Protection against pertussis should also be offered at this opportunity (as dTpa) if no previous dose of dTpa has been given. Before departure, adults should be given a booster dose of dT, if more than 10 years have elapsed since the last dose, or dTpa if not given previously. For high-risk trips, consider giving a booster of either dTpa or dT if more than 5 years have elapsed Hepatitis B Most Australian children born since 2000, and a high proportion of adolescents, will have been vaccinated against hepatitis B under the NIP or jurisdictional school-based vaccination programs. Long-term or frequent travellers to regions of intermediate or high endemicity of hepatitis B, including Central and South America, Africa, Asia or Oceania, are recommended to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, due to the potential for inadvertent exposure to hepatitis B virus through blood-borne or sexual routes, including unplanned medical or dental procedures. A survey has shown that about half of Australian travellers who spent at least 3 nights in Southeast or East Asia had participated in at least one activity with a risk of acquiring hepatitis B. Influenza and pneumococcal disease Older travellers (usually those aged ?65 years) and those with any relevant underlying medical or behavioural risk factors should receive the seasonal influenza vaccine and/or should have received the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. All travellers should consider influenza vaccine, especially if travelling during the influenza season of the destination region(s). The influenza vaccine is particularly relevant if influenza epidemics are occurring at the traveller’s destination(s), and for travellers in large tourist groups, especially those that include older persons, or travelling on cruises, where they are likely to be in confined circumstances for days to weeks. Measles, mumps, rubella and varicella Most measles outbreaks in Australia now result from an infection imported by inadequately vaccinated young travellers. Incidences of measles and mumps are higher in some overseas countries, regions or communities, including developed countries, than in Australia. Australians born during or since 1966 who have not received 2 doses of measles-, mumps- and rubella-containing vaccines should be vaccinated with the MMR vaccine before travelling.Varicella vaccine should be offered to unvaccinated travellers who have not had clinical disease, or where serology demonstrates lack of immunity in those with an uncertain history of clinical disease Meningococcal disease A single dose of MenCCV-containing vaccine is recommended for all children at the age of 12 months. This can be provided as either the combination vaccine Hib-MenCCV or MenCCV. Vaccination against meningococcal serogroup B is recommended for certain age groups who are at increased risk of meningococcal disease