While some people spend their summer lounging by the pool or sipping cold ice tea on the beach, others choose to give back throughout the warm months. One of the most popular ways to give back is through mission trips.

Missions trips are located all throughout the world, each with a goal of improving another’s life or society as a whole. These missions can be sponsored by churches, schools, or programs.

Some of the most common places for mission trips are Uganda, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Kenya. Each country requires some kind of different preparation to stay healthy and safe during the trip. One of these crucial differences is the necessary vaccines for each country:

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With the 2016-2017 flu season over, the CDC has finished evaluating the effectiveness of last year’s vaccine.

While it might seem pointless to research an old vaccine, this could greatly help this year’s flu shot. The reports measure the vaccine’s effectiveness to improve it for the 2017-2018 flu season.

According to the CDC, flu activity in the United States was moderate during the 2016-2017 season. Activity was low in November, slowly growing until the virus peaked in February.

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Ecotourism is a new travel trend for people who are concerned about their impact on the environment and the world around them.

The trend promotes travel to “relatively undisturbed natural areas, to enjoy and appreciate nature,” according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This type of tourism has a low impact on the environment and promotes conservation.

Ecotourism works in favor of both the traveler and locals.

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Gap years are a growing trend among young adults.

A common gap year tends to be post high school graduation, postponing a first year of college until some future date. It’s filled with travel, work, and often volunteering. Many people believe it’s a good way to get some work under your belt before going to college and assessing what jobs may be in store for your future.

These gap years give young adults a chance to explore the world before hitting the books.

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Hajj, a religious pilgrimage to Mecca undertaken by Muslims from around the world, is known as the world’s largest gathering of people. The pilgrimage lasts for five days and is the fifth pillar of Islam.

All able Muslims are required to perform this journey once in their lives.

The event brings together a diverse group of Muslims from a wide variety of nationalities and backgrounds.

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