Introduction
As a responsible parent, vaccinating your child when travelling requires a careful evaluation. Depending on the place you plan to visit, your children should definitely complete routine immunizations as per the normal schedule along with a few extras if need be. However, you need to remember that every travel-related vaccine isn’t as effective. This is why, a proper analysis of what goes along and what doesn’t is completely necessary.
Can babies and children have travel vaccinations?
Make sure you visit a vaccination clinic in Montreal before going ahead on your trip to protect your children before getting to desired destination. As you visit an unknown place, you might not know what awaits you in terms of diseases. While you might be immune to some, your infant or young child might not be as lucky.
1. Pre-Travel Care
Ideally, a family should get in touch with their health care provider every 4 to 6 weeks. This is especially true when you are planning an international trip. Your doctor can help you with a list of all the necessary medications and vaccinations that are required when visiting a certain location. While one location might require your child to get vaccinated for malaria, the other would require you to take medication for diarrhoea. This will drop down any chances of your children falling ill and any risk of travel related diseases. Here is a list of all child vaccines that you should know about before promising yourself a beautiful worry-free trip with family.
2. Vaccines
If it’s possible, make sure your child’s vaccination routine is updated before you take him/her along overseas. However, some of the vaccinations can be added to the list of accelerated requirements such as flu shot, tetanus shot, BCG vaccine, etc. This will help your child be immune to certain diseases that are prevalent in the area you are planning to visit. However, some travel vaccinations can be avoided if was already administered some time ago. Additionally, there are options for oral medications which can be easier for children. However, vaccines are highly effective for faster action and long-term immunity. So, make sure you consult a reliable child paediatrician as soon as possible prior to travel. You can consult a well-known travel health clinic in Montreal to ensure that you know everything about the list of possible vaccinations that can be given to your child.
3. Travel-specific vaccinations to be considered for your children
- Hepatitis A Vaccine: Even though Hepatitis A seems to be asymptomatic or mild among infants & children below the age of 5, the infected toddlers might transmit infection to adults and older children. The vaccination for Hepatitis A needs to be administered for all the children going to areas with some intermediate and high risk for hepatitis A. Given the interference by a child’s maternal antibodies, the use of vaccine for Hepatitis A isn’t approved for infants below the age of 1 year.
- Hepatitis B Vaccine: The hepatitis vaccine can easily be administered with an accelerated dosage schedule which is given at regular intervals at birth, 1 month, 2 month, or 12 months. The last dosage can be given to your child after coming back from travel.
- Influenza Vaccine: If you are planning to travel during the winter months, it is advised that you get your child vaccinated from the influenza vaccine. This is especially true if you plan on visiting a temperate region. However, some of the influenza viruses tend to circulate all year long and it is advised that your child is vaccinated at least 2 weeks prior to departure. For more travel vaccination tips related to different diseases, you can look for several online clinics with complete details.
- MMR/MMRV Vaccine: Children who travel abroad with family might be required to vaccinate for certain diseases at an early age. Infants that are aged between 6 and 11 months need to receive a dose of this vaccine prior to departure. This vaccination protects your child from 4 diseases which include measles, rubella, mumps, and varicella. Now, children that are younger than 12 months need to be administered 2 different doses of the MMR vaccine prior to travelling overseas. Get in touch with your vaccination clinic in Montreal and plan the MMRV shot before hopping on to the plane.
- Meningococcal Vaccine: If you have any plans with family to visit the sub-Saharan Africa during the dry months, make sure you get your child vaccinated for the meningococcal disease. It is caused from a bacterium named Neisseria Meningitidis. It is mandated for your child to be vaccinated against this disease before entering Saudi Arabia especially when travelling to the Mecca.
- Polio Vaccine: Babies are highly vulnerable when it comes to being affected by polio. If you are travelling to a location with evidence of WPV or Wild Poliovirus Virus in the last few months, it is important that you sort through the list of baby vaccines according to age and degree of vulnerability.
4. Other less common vaccines
- Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine: The JE or Japanese Encephalitis virus is generally transmitted via mosquito bites. It is an endemic in various parts of Asia as well as sections of the Western Pacific. The risk could be seasonal or year-round depending on the location you plan on visiting. Children are highly vulnerable to mosquito bites given. So, if you have plans to visit these areas with your kids, make sure you visit the closest clinic for travel vaccinations in Montreal.
- Rabies Vaccine: The rabies virus tends to cause an acute version of encephalitis virus which can be 100 percent fatal. Children who travel might be at an increased risk of being exposed to the same from dogs roaming around the streets in developing countries. Additionally, if you have plans for a jungle safari or plan to stay in a location close to high green coverage, you need your children to be vaccinated against Rabies.