HELPING HANDS HEALTH EDUCATION

IMMUNIZATION

We recommend the following vaccinations for travel to Vietnam.  However, the CDC has additional vaccinations that it prescribed for the Southeast Asian Region.  To find out what these vaccinations are, and for more information about prevalent illnesses in this region, you can look up the CDC home-page at http://www.cdc.gov.  Furthermore, you should always ask your attending physician if there are additional shots that have been recommended, as this list of vaccines is frequently updated by the CDC.  It is not required that you be vaccinated in order to gain entry into Vietnam, but we strongly suggest that you do.

MALARIA:  Malaria is a risk in most rural and some urban areas in this region. It is a high risk throughout Irian Jaya, Indonesia. There is no vaccine against malaria. Mosquito precautions are important for everyone in risk areas. Preventive medication is advised for travel to risk areas.

Yellow fever disease is NOT a risk in this region but yellow fever vaccine may be legally required IF you arrive from Panama, Sub-Saharan Africa, or South America.

Other Risks

Travelers’ diarrhea affects 30-50% of travelers. Food and water precautions are important.

Dengue fever outbreaks occur throughout this region.

HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Disease

Schistosomiasis occurs in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines Thailand and Vietnam.

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Recommended Vaccines

Tetanus and Diphtheria - everyone needs a dose every 10 years.

Measles, mumps, rubella - only for persons born 1970 or later (2 doses of measles containing vaccine important).

Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for ALL travelers to most of this region.

Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for most travelers depending on risk factors.  Two doses of vaccine, four weeks apart are needed before travel.

Typhoid vaccine is recommended for travel of more than four weeks OR for shorter trips when staying in rural areas, in hostels or camping.

Polio vaccine series (usually completed in childhood) is recommended for ALL travelers. A single lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine is recommended for health care workers.

Rabies is a risk in most of this region, except Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. Vaccine is recommended for children moving to these areas, long-term travelers and for anyone likely to have exposure to animals.  The vaccine must be given in 3 doses over a 3 weeks period.

Tuberculin skin test is recommended before and after travel depending upon individual risk.  BCG vaccine is recommended only for babies and young children staying for longer than one year.

Flu vaccine is routinely recommended for people 65 and over and those with certain chronic medical conditions. Vaccine is also recommended for ALL travelers who leave from November to March.

Pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for people 65 and over and those with certain chronic medical conditions. Routine booster doses of this vaccine are not recommended. Most people need only one dose of this vaccine in their lifetime.

Japanese Encephalitis vaccine is recommended if spending four weeks or longer in rural farming areas.

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