FAQs
Travelers’ health most
Frequently Asked Questions
The Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) Travelers’ Health Branch pro-
vides health advice to international
travelers, including advice about med-
ications and vaccines. On this page,
you’ll find some of their most frequent-
ly asked questions and responses.
Travel vaccines and
medications
Q: What vaccines or medicines should I
get before traveling to my destination?
A: It depends on where you are
going and what you will be doing.
The CDC has a destination tool on its
site to find the vaccines and medica-
tions you need for your next trip, and
schedule an appointment with your
doctor or a travel medicine specialist
at least a month before traveling to get
recommended or required vaccines
and medicines.
Q:If I am going on a cruise that will
stop in several countries, which vaccines
should I get for each country?
A: You should be up-to-date
on routine vaccines, such as mea-
sles-mumps-rubella (MMR), tetanus,
and flu. Depending on where you’re
going and what activities you plan,
other vaccines may be recommended.
Q: What is the difference between rou-
tine, recommended, and required vaccines?
A: Routine vaccines are those that
are recommended for everyone in
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the United States based on their age,
health condition, or other risk factors.
You may think of these as the child-
hood vaccines you got before starting
school, but some are routinely recom-
mended for adults, like the adult per-
tussis booster Tdap, and some every
year (like the flu vaccine) or every
10 years (like the tetanus booster for
adults).
A required vaccine is one that trav-
elers must have in order to enter a
country, based on that country’s regu-
lations. Yellow fever, meningococcal,
and polio vaccines may be required by
certain countries.
Recommended vaccines are those
that CDC recommends travelers get to
protect their health, even if they aren’t
required for entry by the government
of the country you are visiting. They
protect travelers from illnesses that are
usually travel-related. For example, a
typhoid vaccine can prevent typhoid,
a serious disease spread by contam-
inated food and water, which is not
usually found in the United States. The
vaccines recommended for a traveler
depend on several things, including
age, health, and itinerary.
Q: What are the prices of vaccines need-
ed for travel outside the United States?
A: Prices vary by provider and
insurance coverage. You should be able
to get routine vaccines from your pri-
mary health care provider, health clin-
ic, or health department. Travel clinics
and yellow fever vaccine clinics should
be able to give you any vaccines that
your health care provider cannot.
Q: How long do travel vaccines
last (when do I need to get a booster
dose)?
A: How long travel vaccines last
depends on the vaccine. If you’re trav-
eling outside the United States, you
should see a health care provider who
is familiar with travel medicine at least
a month before your trip. They can
give you advice about any vaccines
and vaccine boosters based on where
you are going and your previous vac-
cinations. Be sure to bring your vac-
cine records to your appointment.
Q: Which medications can I travel
with?
A: When packing for trips abroad,
don’t forget there may be special con-
siderations for bringing your prescrip-
tions and other medicines with you.
Some medicines that are commonly
prescribed or available over-the-count-
er in the United States can be illegal in
other countries. Check with the embas-
sy or consulate in the country you will
be visiting to make sure your medi-
cines are permitted in that country.
See your health care provider at
least a month before you go to get any
needed or extra medications, and pack
medications in your carry-on in case
your luggage is lost.
For more travel information, visit the
CDC website at www.cdc.gov/travel
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