Prevalence of diseases and risk of infection varies across the world. This is caused by natural factors like weather and human amenities such as the healthcare systems. By travelling to other countries, you are at a higher risk of suffering from diseases that do not exist in your country. Thankfully, you can be vaccinated against these diseases to strengthen your immunity against possible impending attacks. Through vaccination, agent specific, harmless antigens are introduced into your body to induce protection against diseases. If you are travelling to another country for the first time, here's what you should keep in mind regarding vaccinations:

What Will You Be Doing During Your Stay?

You should consider the type of activities that you will be engaged in after arriving at your destination. For instance, spending a lot of time outdoors trekking and working in rural areas increases exposure to tetanus and typhoid. These vaccines will come in handy in such conditions considering the risk of injuries (causes tetanus) and poor sanitation (elevates the risk of contracting typhoid). Certain workstations like refugee camps expose you to more diseases, and you should consult a doctor about the best combination of multiple vaccines that will suit you.

Will You Be In Contact with Animals?

You can contract some communicable diseases by coming into contact with animals. Monkeys, dogs and birds are examples of animals that are friendly to humans, yet they can spread diseases to you. If there are high chances of interacting with animals, make sure that you are vaccinated against diseases like rabies and candidiasis. Animals such as monkeys and dogs spread rabies while candidiasis can be contracted from birds such as pigeons.

What are Your Feeding Habits?

Food is another risk factor when it comes to contracting diseases. If available, go for fully cooked foods that you are familiar with or have tried before without undue complications. Avoid unfamiliar game meat and native fruits that you do not know of. Fresh vegetable and fruits that you can wash and peel yourself are another good alternative. To add on that, make sure that the dairy products you drink have been pasteurised. Lastly, bottled and sealed beverages like sports drinks and carbonated drinks are a good option when you need some refreshment.

Are You Aware of the Weather Conditions?

Disease prevalence is also dependent on the prevailing weather conditions season or time of the year. For instance, malaria prevalence rises during the rainy season when there is available water for mosquito breeding. In such a case, you can get a vaccine against malaria even though it does not guarantee long-term protection against the disease. It reduces chances of infection though.

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