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Vaccines & Immunisations
Immunisation, or vaccination (the two terms are interchangeable), is the process whereby a vaccine is administered to stimulate a protective immune response. This immune response prevents severe illness in the recipient should they come in contact with the disease.
Vaccination is, by and large, a highly effective means of protecting not only the individual, but also the wider community. Prevention is not only better than cure, it’s more cost-effective. Immunisation also eliminates the human ‘cost’ in terms of pain and suffering associated with illness. Indeed, some diseases can be fatal.
For travellers, vaccination offers a means of avoiding dangerous infections that may be encountered while travelling abroad. While there is a vaccine for many of the more common travel-related health risks, there is no vaccine for some life-threatening diseases present in many developing countries, notably Malaria and HIV/AIDS.
Vaccines come in various forms:
- Injectable - subcutaneous, intramuscular and intradermal.
- Oral - capsules and soluble.
(NB - most vaccinations are administered by injection.)
The protection offered by vaccines takes time to take effect. The time taken to reach peak strength may vary according to the vaccine, the number of doses required and whether the recipient has been vaccinated previously against the disease. Because of this delay, travellers are advised to book an appointment with Travelvax at least a month (six weeks, if possible) prior to departure.