Even within Europe, it is recommended to check your vaccination certificate in advance
Like (OTS) – The summer vacation is booked, and many people’s anticipation of the trip increases day by day. So that the joy of the vacation is not spoiled later, travelers should think about the necessary vaccinations in good time. This even applies when traveling to the Mediterranean region. It’s not just exotic travel destinations that pose a risk of illness; climate change can also cause new diseases to emerge in Europe or existing diseases to spread further. In order to start your vacation well prepared, experts recommend visiting your family doctor or travel doctor early in order to complete a thorough vaccination certificate check and to get any necessary vaccinations before the trip. If you want to go to Hajj this June, you should get a meningococcal vaccination as soon as possible.
Travel vaccinations are not only necessary for long-distance trips
Greece, Türkiye, Spain, Egypt, Italy. They are all among the top travel destinations for this summer. And – hand on heart – most of us wouldn’t think about travel vaccinations when considering these destinations. “This could be a mistake
“, says Prof. Dr. Alexander Zoufaly, infectious disease and tropical medicine specialist at the Tropical Institute in Vienna on Mariahilfer Straße, commented. “Firstly, trips – even if they “only” take place in the Mediterranean region – are a good opportunity to bring the standard Austrian vaccinations (e.g. diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio) up to date and secondly, supposedly tropical diseases also occasionally spread to the Mediterranean region out of.
“A good example of these tropical diseases is dengue fever, which has even made it to Italy in a few cases and is otherwise better known from Southeast Asia. Recently there has even been a vaccine against it.
Always important: protection against hepatitis
The vaccinations against hepatitis A and B are standard vaccinations that are recommended in the Austrian vaccination plan either for people with an increased risk of exposure or disease (hepatitis A) or for everyone (hepatitis B). But they are particularly important in the context of travel.[1]
Infection with hepatitis A can occur relatively easily in the non-European Mediterranean region and even in individual European countries through drinking water contaminated by faeces or foods such as lettuce or dates, through hands or toilets. The result is a viral infection of the liver, which in rare cases can lead to acute liver failure.[2]
Hepatitis B, on the other hand, is contracted through body fluids (e.g. tears, saliva, urine, semen, etc.) from infected people. In this case, the consequence is a viral infection of the liver, which can even end in chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. The prevalence is relatively high. In the WHO Europe region alone, around 14 million people were infected with HBV in 2019.2 “It is definitely worth checking your vaccination certificate or possibly having your titer determined before you travel
”, said Zufaly.
Rabies: only extinct in Western Europe
Fortunately, deadly rabies no longer exists in Western Europe. But as soon as you cross the Mediterranean, for example from Spain to Morocco, things look completely different. There is also a moderate risk of rabies in Tunisia and Egypt. People almost always become infected through the saliva – through a bite or through contact with a wound or mucous membrane – of an animal infected with the rabies virus, in the vast majority of cases a dog. As before, the disease is always fatal once symptoms of the disease appear.2 “Vaccination is therefore extremely important, especially when going to areas where there is no access to vaccines and passive immunization in the event of an animal bite
“, explains the tropical medicine doctor. “Even those who have been vaccinated need an additional vaccination after potentially infectious contact with an animal. This can also be done after returning home.
“
Only vaccinated for Hajj
For some people, the next step is not a vacation, but a pilgrimage. The Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, takes place between June 14th and 19th this year.
Due to previous high rates of infection with meningococci, which can lead to severe meningitis, Saudi Arabia has been requiring vaccination with the meningococcal vaccine against serotypes ACWY during the Hajj for several years now. It must be proven in an international vaccination certificate.1
But there are also diseases caused by meningococci in the EU/EEA, an average of around 3,000 cases annually, of which around 10% are fatal.[3] Reisemediziner Desperate: “Vaccinations against meningococci are recommended for children, adolescents and young adults in Austria anyway. Whether a vaccination is necessary for adults when traveling, apart from the Hajj, should be discussed with a travel doctor on a case-by-case basis.”
The journey to the experts is worth it
A vaccination certificate check with your family doctor or travel doctor is generally a good idea before traveling, as is an individual assessment of the necessary vaccinations. For example, information such as the type of trip (individual backpacking trip or visiting relatives), the travel route, the duration of the trip, the season, the accommodation, the person’s age or previous illnesses is relevant.
„We recommend that all travelers seek travel medical advice approximately 10 weeks before their planned trip
“, explains expert Zoufaly. “Then we still have enough time to carry out all the necessary partial vaccinations and talk about other risk-minimizing measures such as mosquito protection
.“
[1] BMSGPK, Austrian vaccination plan 2023/24.
[2] RKI, Epidemiological Bulletin 14/2024.
[3] last accessed on April 18, 2024.
Questions & Contact:
For the Austrian Association of Vaccine Manufacturers
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