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Before You Go

Immunizations

Under international health regulations adopted by the World Health Organization, a country may require international certificates of vaccination against yellow fever and cholera. Typhoid vaccinations are not required for international travel, but are recommended for areas where there is risk of exposure. Smallpox vaccinations are no longer given. Check your health care records to ensure that your measles, mumps, rubella, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis immunizations are up-to-date. Medication to deter malaria and other preventative measures are advisable for certain areas. No immunizations are needed to return to the United States.

Information on immunization requirements, U.S. Public Health Service recommendations, and other health guidance, including risks in particular countries, are included in the book, Health Information for International Travel. It may be purchased by sending a check or money order for $20.00 to the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. Orders by telephone and a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover) can be made by calling 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250. In addition, you may obtain information on health from local and state health departments or physicians. The information is also available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 24-hour hotline at 1-888-232-3228, from their automated faxback service at 1-888-232-3299, or from their home page on the Internet at http://www.cdc.gov.

It is not necessary to be vaccinated against a disease to which you will not be exposed, and few countries refuse to admit you if you arrive without the necessary vaccinations. Officials will either vaccinate you, give you a medical follow-up card, or, in rare circumstances, put you in isolation for the incubation period of the disease that you were not vaccinated against. It is a good idea to check immunization requirements before you depart.

If vaccinations are required, they must be recorded on approved forms, such as those in the booklet PHS-731, International Certificates of Vaccination as Approved by the World Health Organization. If your doctor or public health office does not have this booklet, it can be purchased for $1.00 from the Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954; telephone 202-512-1800, or Government Printing Office bookstores. You should keep the booklet with your passport.

An increasing number of countries require that foreigners be tested for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prior to entry. Testing is usually required as part of a medical exam for long term visitors (i.e., students and workers). Before traveling abroad, you can check with the embassy or consulate of the country that you intend to visit to learn about the latest information concerning entry requirements and, particularly, whether or not an AIDS/HIV test is a requirement.