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Immunizing Children for International Travel
Exploring the World Safely with Your Children
By Johnathon Allen
Decisions regarding administration of other vaccines, such as yellow fever, typhoid, and hepatitis A, which are typically given to travelers before visiting areas of potential outbreak, should be made in consultation with a physician knowledgeable about children's travel medicine and will likely depend on the degree of infection in the area and the age of the child.
As appropriate for age, the CDC also recommends that international travelers receive:
- Immune Globulin (for resistance to hepatitis A; the standard adult vaccine is not licensed for administration to children under 2 years old) (for resistance to hepatitis A; the standard adult vaccine is not licensed for administration to children under 2 years old)
- Typhoid vaccine (particularly for those visiting developing countries, unless the child is still breastfeeding)
- Malaria medication and prevention (especially for pregnant women and infants)
Malaria, which is a preventable infection that can be deadly if left untreated and is especially dangerous for pregnant women and young children, is endemic in over 100 countries around the world. Parents and children visiting these mostly tropical areas are encouraged to maintain strict vigilance against mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and pants in the evening, sleeping under bug nets, and keeping to the strict schedule of anti-malaria medication.
Children under 6 months of age who are still breastfeeding have a distinct travel advantage because breast milk contains maternally derived antibodies that protect infants against things like measles (usually treated with MMR vaccine) and typhoid. As a result, vaccination supplements beyond what the mother has been given are generally not needed by breastfed infants, and experts recommend that mobile mothers breastfeed as long as possible.