While the height of the travel season may subside for some with the start of school, healthcare providers are frequently asked about pre-travel vaccine recommendations throughout the year. To save frustration for all those involved, it is helpful to remind patients to start planning for their travel vaccines at least two months prior to their planned departure date to avoid difficulty in securing required vaccine and appointments to administer vaccine.

Depending on the vaccine, travel vaccine can be costly and difficult to obtain. For example, Yellow Fever vaccine, which is recommended for travel to dozens of countries in Africa and South America, is currently in short supply in the United States. In Spokane, this vaccine is only available at the Safeway Pharmacy on Wellesley and requires specific appointments that are currently booked 4-6 weeks out. (Other travel vaccines can be administered sooner than this time frame). The next nearest locations to obtain Yellow Fever vaccine are Renton, Washington or Billings, Montana. Prescriptions from outside healthcare providers are not accepted for Yellow Fever and instead must be coordinated through Safeway and their contracted provider by calling 509.325.4396. 

CDC Health Information for International Travel (commonly called the Yellow Book) for healthcare professionals is available online to help determine which vaccines are necessary prior to travel. Updated every two years, this resource codifies the U.S. government’s most current travel health guidelines, including vaccinations, destination-specific health advice, and easy to reference maps, tables, and other charts.

Measles activity is elevated in many countries throughout the world. Immunization with MMR prior to international travel for infants aged 6-11 months, children aged 12 months – 18 years and for all adults born on or after January 1, 1957 is strongly recommended.

Specifically, the recent 2020 release contains the:

• Recommendations for providing travel health care remotely via telemedicine
• Discussion of legal issues facing clinicians providing travel health care
• Cutting-edge rapid diagnostic tests for infectious diseases
• Introduction of new FDA-approved antimalarial drugs
• Road traffic safety advice for travelers
• Recommendations for treating infectious diseases in the face of increasing antimicrobial resistance

For more information:
CDC 2020 Yellow Book
CDC Quick Reference Guide for Travelers and Clinicians