Think Vaccination Before Vacation
For Release #05-15
Thursday, Jan 27, 2005
WHITEHORSE -- Yukon residents planning a mid-winter vacation to a sunny climate need to talk to their local health centre to find out what kind of vaccinations they need for the country they'll be visiting.
Brenda Dedon, the acting Nurse in Charge at the Whitehorse Health Centre said many people are leaving their vaccinations until the last minute.
"If you are planning a vacation to an exotic location, you need to know well in advance what vaccinations might help you stay healthy during your trip or what might be required to enter that country. In some cases, that could be a series of shots you need to get over time," said Dedon. "For example, Japanese Encephalitis vaccine consists of three shots given over a month and since it is recommended that you not travel before 10 days after your last shot, you need to start your vaccinations six weeks before your trip."
The health centre is busy right now with travel immunizations. January and early fall are times when people are thinking about travelling.
Dedon said travel agencies provide clients with information about required immunizations for their destination. However, there are many vaccinations that are recommended for health reasons but are not required to enter the country.
Dedon recommends a travel health consultation to learn how to stay healthy while travelling. The Whitehorse Health Centre offers three travel immunization clinics each week. Dedon said appointments often book up quickly at this time of year and she recommends individuals call as soon as they know their travel dates. The Health Centre can also provide travellers with the cost of the required vaccinations.
"People may not think about calling us to find that out but it is a service we provide. We can tell you, for example, that if you are travelling to Fiji that you may want to consider getting Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines as well as ensuring that your regular vaccines are up to date. The recommendations are based on what your current immunizations status is and what type of travel you are planning to do."
She said many people confuse the service they provide with the Yukon's Medical Travel program. "I know they get a lot of calls because people automatically assume that the words medical and travel mean immunization for vacations." Yukon's Medical Travel program plans travel for people who need to travel for medical appointments.
Anyone who is planning to travel outside of Canada or the U.S. this winter and who has not checked to see what vaccinations they will require can call the Whitehorse Health Centre at 667-6371 their community health centre. Information is also available from Health Canada at www.travelhealth.gc.ca
"When you're on vacation, the last thing you want to be is sick. There are steps that people can take to protect themselves, and immunizations are part of that. We can help with that," said Dedon.
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