Vaccination Information

International vaccination certificate
With the world becoming a smaller place international boundaries are blurring. People are constantly travelling to countries across the world. This poses certain risk factors for international health agencies, the biggest being the World Health Organisation (WHO). With people from different countries moving about the world, there is an increased risk of diseases also spreading across international borders. Vaccinations are now the accepted mode of protection against a number of diseases like measles, mumps, diphtheria, typhoid, TB etc. Most countries in the world follow standard vaccination schedules for children and recommend booster shots for adults in order to maintain immunity. This is important not only for personal health and safety, but also because today, international travel requires medical proof that you are vaccinated. This proof is in the form of the International Vaccination Certificate issued by the WHO (since 2007 it is called International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis). It is also called the Yellow Card or Carte Juan. The International vaccination certificate is like a medical passport which every traveller must have since there are several countries that do not allow entry without it. The International vaccination certificate is a comprehensive document that requires the physician giving you the vaccination to fill in details of the vaccine given, including specifics and not only a generic brand name. There is also provision to fill in the name, address, telephone number, signature and country of the physician without abbreviations so that it is internationally comprehensible. If your physician does not put in his professional details and a signature on the International vaccination certificate it should be insisted upon as it will give it more international validation. The International vaccination certificate also has a list of vaccines that are compulsory, those which are routine vaccines and those that are country specific. At present, only the Yellow Fever vaccine is mandatory in the International vaccination certificate. It has to be taken at least 10 days before travel, and a booster is needed every 10 years. In the routine vaccines, the International vaccination certificate lists vaccines such as MMR DTP and polio. These vaccines are generally given in almost all countries as routine to children. However most adults do not get boosters and should do so before travelling to countries that are likely to still have the infections prevalent. Other vaccines recommended by the International vaccination certificate include those like meningococcal meningitis, Japanese encephalitis, typhoid, cholera etc. The International vaccination certificate also requires personal information including name, age, sex, address, contact numbers, emergency contact, blood group, physicians contact, and most importantly, any allergies, especially to eggs that the person may have. A prepared traveller is a smart and happy traveller. So along with clothes, shoes and cameras, travellers should make sure of their health and be sure to have an International vaccination certificate.