Spring break is upon us and many are jetting off to sunnier climes. Depending on your destination, a pit-stop at the travel health clinic may be necessary before you get to hear that sweet sound that is the final boarding call.
In preparation for a trip to Mexico I visited the Halton Region Health Department's Travel Clinic today. The nurse was very informative and provided me a with folder of information about my destination, associated health advisories, and suggested immunizations based on the potential health risks of the area.
For a visit to Mexico, the Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for all travellers, Typhoid for those visiting rural areas, Hepatitis B for prolonged stays (most Ontarians under the age of 30 have already received the Hep B series in elementary school), and Rabies vaccine for those travelling to parts of Mexico that border Guatemala.
Happily, I only needed the Hep A vaccine and the nurse was able to administer it during the visit. Ideally, you should get your Hep A vaccine 10 days prior to travel to get immediate protection and follow up in six months with a booster to get lifetime protection.
On an interesting sidenote relating to yesterday's post about the Mumps vaccine, the nurse asked me whether I had received any immunizations within the last three months. When I mentioned that I had just received my MMR shot a couple days ago at school she exclaimed "Oh, so you were one of the SIX people who got it"....unbelievable! Guess the communication plan for the MMR vaccine effort needs some re-tooling.
If you'd like more information about travel updates and health advisories you can check out these links:
Foreign Affairs Canada
Centres for Disease Control
World Health Organization
Bon voyage!
Don't worry Ash...I'll be picking up some Immodium at Shoppers before I leave! lol or maybe I should get that Dukoral shot...I dunno what to do.
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