Travel Vaccinations

Which vaccines do I need before traveling abroad?

Summer is near, the pandemic is nearly over, and more people are considering traveling abroad again. Though the risks of travel may be mitigated, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends checking required/recommended vaccinations for countries you are planning to visit. 

Why is it important to receive certain vaccines even though you may be up to date with the typically required vaccines for work and school? If you are traveling to countries with low social/personal hygiene or with certain diseases not prevalent in the US, there is a much higher risk of falling seriously ill or dying. Fortunately, vaccinations can greatly limit the health risks of international travel. When you receive a vaccination, microorganisms in their weakest form (antigen) are injected into your body and introduced to the immune system. This enables your body to prepare for a battle with a future infection. 

So, what kind of vaccines are required or strongly recommended for each country? Visit Table A at the bottom of the article to find out which vaccines are recommended/required for your travel. 

At Kohll’s Rx, we provide travel vaccinations to patients planning on traveling internationally. Kohll’s Rx is approved by the state of Nebraska and Iowa to administer all vaccines without a doctor’s prescription. To save yourself time, submit your vaccination request and schedule your appointment through our Travel Vaccination signup form (walk-ins are also welcome).

On the Travel Vaccination signup form, you will be asked to submit your basic demographics, travel itinerary, immunization history, medication history, and other details.  Once submitted, a pharmacist will contact you within 1-2 business days to finalize your appointment and review the recommended vaccinations for your travel. Most vaccinations need to be administered a minimum of 10-14 days prior to travel, which is why we recommend scheduling your appointment at least 30 days prior. If your travel is in less than 10 days, please call the pharmacy for guidance. 

If you have any further questions regarding travel vaccination, please contact us for more information.

Side Note 1:

Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for travelers to countries in South America and Africa. Yellow fever is a viral disease caused by transmission through infected mosquito bites. Most recent endemic outbreak was in 2017 and 2018 in eastern Brazil, including major metropolitan areas such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. 

As a result of pharmaceutical problems and frequent yellow fever outbreaks, there has been international shortage of yellow fever vaccines. On April 5^th, 2021, Sanofi Pasteur, a pharmaceutical company, made YF-VAX (Yellow Fever vaccine) available for purchase in the US for authorized providers. As a result, with limited number of vaccination center for yellow fever in the state of Nebraska and Iowa, Kohll’s Rx is one of the centers that is able to provide the yellow fever vaccine to people planning to travel South America or Africa. 

It is important to note that several nations with chronic yellow fever outbreaks require mandatory Yellow Fever vaccinations for all international travelers. Some nations (marked with * in the table below) require all travelers to show proof of a yellow fever vaccination before they enter the country. Other countries require proof of vaccination only if travelers have been in a high-risk area. To prove that you have been vaccinated prior to the visit, you need to carry an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP). If you receive yellow fever vaccine at Kohll’s Rx, you will get to receive the ICVP card right after your vaccination. See figure 3 as an example of ICVP card. Proof of vaccination is not valid until 10 days after the dosage.

Side note 2: 

On June 8^th, 2021, the FDA approved Prevnar-20, Pfizer’s pneumococcal vaccines for adults older than 18. The Pneumococcal vaccine prevents invasive diseases and pneumonia. As its name conveys, this newly approved vaccine protects against 20 strains of Streptococcus Pneumoniae, improving on Prevnar-13, another Pfizer vaccine that covers 13 of the strains. The 7 new serotypes are the global causes of invasive pneumococcal disease and are associated with high case-fatality rates, antibiotic resistance, and meningitis.

“Today’s approval of Prevnar-20 marks a significant step forward in our ongoing fight to help address the burden on pneumococcal disease, including pneumonia in adults, and broadens global protection against more disease-causing serotypes than any other pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.” Said Kathrin U. Jansen, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research & Development, Pfizer.

For patients who already received PCV-13 or PPSV23 vaccine, further guidelines on whether Prevnar-20 is recommended will be announced after ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) meeting in October 2021.

In August 2021, Prevnar-20 vaccine will be available at Kohll’s Rx to all patients over 18 years. If you are interested in receiving Prevnar-20 vaccination, please contact Kohll’s Rx for more information or to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are also welcome.