Health article
Do you actually need travel vaccines?
Some are legally required to enter a country. Some are worth it for the trip you are taking. And some get sold to travellers who do not need them. Here is how the three groups differ.
Group one: required for entry
These are not medical recommendations — they are border requirements, and being turned around is a real outcome.
Yellow fever
Required by many countries in Africa and South America, and by others if you are arriving from one of those regions. It needs a stamped International Certificate of Vaccination, which only a designated yellow fever centre can issue. We are one.
Meningococcal ACWY
Required by Saudi Arabia for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, with a certificate.
Polio
Some countries require proof of a recent booster for travellers staying beyond a set period. Requirements change; we check them at the consultation rather than relying on what was true last year.
Group two: worth it for most travellers
Not required, but the risk is real enough and the vaccine is good enough that we recommend them without hesitation.
Hepatitis A
Food and water borne, common across much of the world, and one of the more likely things to actually ruin a trip. Two doses give long-term protection.
Typhoid
Worth it for South Asia in particular, and for longer stays or travel outside resort areas anywhere it is endemic.
Routine vaccines, brought up to date
The most common gap we find is not exotic. It is tetanus, measles or an overdue booster on the regular schedule. Bring your immunization record.
Group three: the ones that depend entirely on the trip
Rabies, Japanese encephalitis and Dukoral fall here. Whether they make sense is about what you are doing, not where you are going — a two-week beach holiday and a three-month rural placement in the same country are different risk profiles.
We will tell you when the answer is no. For most people on a typical trip, Dukoral is not worth it, and we say so.
Timing is the part people get wrong
Several travel vaccines need more than one dose spread over weeks, and yellow fever certificates are only valid ten days after the shot. Book the consultation six to eight weeks before you leave.
If you are leaving sooner than that, still come in. There is almost always something useful to do — it just narrows the options.
Common questions
Are travel vaccines covered by Alberta Health?
Generally no. Travel vaccines are not part of the publicly funded schedule, so you pay out of pocket unless a private benefits plan covers them. Many plans do — it is worth checking before your appointment.
How far ahead should I book?
Six to eight weeks is the target, because some vaccines need a second dose and yellow fever certificates only take effect ten days after the injection. Later than that is still worth doing.