As the year comes to an end, many of us may be looking forward to upcoming holiday adventures for the festive season. In the busyness of this time of year, it is common to forget about travel vaccinations for your intended destination.
In this article, we share valuable information about travel vaccinations and five types of vaccinations to arrange for in Singapore before your next trip overseas.
Purpose of travel vaccinations
Essentially, travel vaccinations help to protect against illnesses which are common at your travel destination outside of Singapore. They also reduce the risk of diseases that can be contracted via close contact with an infected person. Like most vaccinations, such as the mandated COVID-19 vaccines, travel vaccinations may require a series of shots over some time. Thus, we tend to recommend seeing a trusted family doctor for a travel health review at least 4-6 weeks before your journey.
Five types of travel vaccinations in Singapore
Hepatitis A and/or Hepatitis B
Hepatitis A and B are viruses which can cause infection in the liver. The disease is spread through contaminated food, water or contact with an infected person. For those who are travelling to developing countries, getting vaccinated for both these viruses is recommended, as eating contaminated street food is a major cause of infection.
As a travel clinic in Singapore, Osler Health helps a large number of people travelling abroad. We have the latest travel health information and can advise which vaccinations are required for your intended destination. As family doctors, we can support the whole family (including advice on children and babies).
Typhoid
When travelling to countries where public drinking water may be unsafe, getting a typhoid vaccination is highly encouraged. Commonly spread through contaminated water and food, typhoid is caused by Salmonella typhi bacteria and can lead to fever, headache and abdominal pain.
Travel vaccines for typhoid come in two forms – a single-dose injection or a three-dose oral vaccination that is taken over 7 days. Consult your healthcare provider before taking this vaccine if you have any of the conditions below:
- Weakened immunity
- Severe allergies
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Recently taken antibiotics
Rabies
Rabies is a deadly virus spread through the bites of infected animals. This is especially common in developing countries with high populations of stray dogs, cats and other wild animals. To protect yourself, get vaccinated against rabies if you are travelling to rabies-endemic countries like Central and South America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
The common practice in Singapore‘s travel vaccination clinics is to administer a rabies vaccine in three doses over 28 days. The first two doses are taken on the same day, and the third dose 21 days after that.
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is mainly found in tropical areas of Africa and Latin America. It is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes and can be fatal to those who get infected. There is a single-shot vaccination available for yellow fever in Singapore that offers lifelong protection 10 days after vaccination. However, a doctor’s review of an individual’s suitability is recommended. Osler Health is one of the travel health clinics able to provide Yellow Fever vaccinations. Please call us for more information.
Influenza
The influenza virus is one of the most common contagious diseases worldwide. It is recommended to get vaccinated against this virus before travelling, especially during the upcoming winter months in the Northern Hemisphere.
Vaccination services for Influenza are available at our Osler Health travel clinics in Singapore, and only one dose is required for protection to develop after two weeks. Frequent travellers, diabetic patients and children are recommended to have the flu vaccine before trips as they are considered high-risk individuals.
How Osler Health can help
Travel vaccinations are important as getting ill on holiday is unpleasant and can really ruin the trip. At Osler Health, we provide comprehensive travel health consultations and can provide vaccinations onsite as an international travel medicine clinic. Our team of doctors are very experienced in providing advice for our patients who are travelling outside of Singapore.
We offer a wide range of vaccinations for all types of travel destinations and can ensure you get the correct vaccinations for your trip. Make an appointment to visit our clinics in Singapore for more information today. If you are interested in other travel-related healthcare services, such as attaining COVID-19 pre-departure test certificates, you can contact us directly.
