What Vaccines Do I Need for Traveling to Southeast Asia?

Home to Jakarta, Indonesia; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Bangkok, Thailand, Southeast Asia is a very popular destination for travelers. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, almost 40 million tourists visited Thailand, more than 26 million vacationed in Malaysia, and over 19 million spent time in Singapore.

If you plan to visit Southeast Asia in the coming months, there are some precautions you should take to make sure you stay safe and healthy on your journey. Let’s discuss recommended vaccinations and other tips to help make sure you bring only happy memories back from your trip.

Recommended Vaccinations

In general, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following vaccinations before traveling to Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam:

• COVID-19
• HepatitisAand B
• Japanese Encephalitis
• Cholera
• Malaria
• Measles
• Typhoid
• Yellow Fever
• Rabies

The CDC also recommends travelers update their routine vaccinations for the following diseases:

• MMR (Measles/Mumps/Rubella)
• Polio
• Flu
• Chickenpox
• Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
• Shingles

Southeast Asia Traveling Tips

Updating your vaccines is just one way to protect yourself from disease while traveling. Here are some other tips to follow when wandering through the beautiful countries, cities, and towns of Southeast Asia.

Avoid Contaminated Water

Different areas of the world have different standards for their water. Some countries in Southeast Asia are at a higher risk of having contaminated water. This can cause travelers’ diarrhea — a bacterial infection that can be very serious for older adults or people with chronic diseases.

When traveling, a good rule of thumb is to always drink bottled water. And if you must drink tap water, make sure you have a filter to use to help remove any bacteria before drinking.

Watch Out for Bugs

Bugs such as mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks can carry a variety of diseases such as zika, dengue, and chikungunya. As many areas of Southeast Asia have high humidity or are on the coast, these types of bugs can be more prevalent.

Protect yourself from these bugs by wearing long-sleeved clothing whenever possible, as well as a hat to protect your head. Try to sleep only in closed rooms with air conditioning or with a bed net. And use insect repellent if possible to help ward off unwanted insects.

Practice Healthy Habits

Whether it’s on a plane, train, taxi cab, boat, or subway, travelers are always exposed to more germs than anyone really wants to think about. Keep yourself healthy by keeping up with some simple healthy habits:

• Wash your hands all the time, especially before eating.
• Keep hand sanitizer with you in case you do not have access to soap and water.
• Try not to touch your mouth, nose, or eyes.

If you’ll be traveling to Southeast Asia and need to update your vaccinations, call or book online to schedule your appointment today.

Written for Passport Health by Corrie Pelc. Corrie Pelc is a freelance writer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She has a passion for health and wellness, having written for publications including Exceptional Parent, DAYSPA, INVISION, Eyecare Professional, and Hepatitis Magazine.

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If you have a trip planned to a country that requires certain vaccinations, you may be wondering how long a travel vaccine will remain effective. The answer: it varies.

There’s no specific timeline for travel vaccines in general. Each vaccine is different, which means they will all remain effective for a different amount of time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend receiving any travel vaccine you need a month in advance. This will allow time for your vaccine to become effective. But once it’s effective, how long will it last?

Here are some common travel vaccines and the amount of time they remain effective:

Yellow Fever

While not common in the U.S., yellow fever can still be found in certain parts of the world. If you need a yellow fever vaccine, it’s important to know that it provides lifelong protection in most cases. This means the majority of people will never need to receive a booster vaccination for the disease.

Tetanus

Unlike the yellow fever vaccine, the tetanus vaccine doesn’t provide lifelong protection. Instead, it remains effective for about 10 years. Once 10 years have passed, it’s recommended that a person receives a booster shot, especially if they are a frequent traveler to parts of the world where the disease is prevalent.

Cholera

Most people don’t need to receive a cholera vaccine unless they are visiting remote places of the world where there won’t be medical care available. But if that is the case for you, a vaccine is available and it lasts up to two years. If you plan on revisiting a remote area, then it would be wise to receive a booster.

Measles, Mumps, and Rubella

Luckily, the measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccination is routine for young children to receive in the U.S. If you received your MMR vaccine as a child, you’re typically set for life. If you were never vaccinated against MMR, you can still get the vaccine, which requires two doses. Once you receive both doses, the vaccination will provide lifelong immunity.

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

The pertussis vaccination helps to protect young children from coming down with the whooping cough. While this isn’t a lifelong vaccine, it is extremely effective when you first receive it. Its effectiveness will decrease over time, but it will still protect against the disease. The vaccine gives the best protection during the first two years.

Polio

Typically the polio vaccine is given to young children, with a booster around the age of 4. In most cases, it can protect a person for life, but this isn’t always the situation. Some people are more at risk for polio than others. If you’re at risk of polio and are traveling to a region where the disease is prominent, it’s recommended that you receive a booster. Boosters can last about 10 years, at which point you can receive another booster if needed.If you choose to receive the vaccine you need a month before your trip is set to start, you should be fully protected throughout your entire trip. Most vaccines will remain effective enough for your entire vacation abroad, which means you should have nothing to worry about.

Planning a trip? Ensure your vaccinations are up-to-date with Passport Health. Call or book online to schedule your appointment today.

Written for Passport Health by Elle Johnson. Elle is a freelance journalist and social media content creator in Florida. Not only does she enjoy working as a freelancer, but in her free time she enjoys working on fictional stories.