Vax-Before-Travel Vaccines

Vax-Before-Travel Travel Vaccines 2023

Getting vaccinated against infectious diseases is one of the most effective ways to protect your health while traveling abroad, says the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most travel vaccines should be administered at least one month before departure to ensure maximum protection. Various U.S. Food and Drug (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) travel vaccines are approved, and the WHO has published an updated Listed Vaccines as of November 2023.

Travel Vaccine Advisories

In 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes Travel Health Advisories, and Travel Assessment enables travelers to confirm vaccine requirements for each country. In addition, the CDC issued an update to Frequently Asked Travel Questions and Answers. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) published updated travel vaccine recommendations in 2023. The U.K. Foreign Travel Advice and the European Centers for Disease Control (ECDC) also publish vaccination recommendations. 

Travel Vaccine Hot Spots 2023

The U.S. Department of State publishes Travel Advisories, and U.S. embassies issue travel security notices for cities and countries. On October 30, 2023, the State Department advised U.S. citizens traveling overseas to exercise increased caution. Travel vaccine hotspots in December 2023 include Cancun, Costa Rica, Florida, Haiti, Jamaica, New York, and Puerto Rico. And Healthmap.org publishes disease outbreaks segment by country.

Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance

The U.S. CDC's Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance (TGS) is a nasal sampling program testing people for Flu A/B, RSV, SARS-CoV-2, and other respiratory pathogens at leading airports in the U.S. TGS offers an early warning system to detect emerging infectious threats in near real-time.

Travel Vaccination Appointments

In Texas, pre-departure travel vaccination services are offered in Austin, Cedar Park, Dallas, Houston, Lubbock, San Antonio, San Marcus, and Tyler.

Travel Vaccine Certificates

Travel vaccination certificate information for yellow fever and polio is posted by Precision Vax. The WHO and European Commission announced in June 2023 that the European Union digital certification system will become a global system facilitating international mobility. In May 2023, a notice of End to Requirement was issued for air passengers to provide proof of COVID-19 Vaccination before visiting the U.S.

Avian Influenza Vaccines

Avian influenza (bird flu) outbreaks continue in 2023, as well as vaccine candidate development.

Audenz™ is a U.S. FDA-approved monovalent, adjuvanted, cell-based inactivated subunit vaccine.

Chikungunya Vaccines

As of 2023, there is one approved chikungunya vaccine. The U.S. CDC published Recommendations for  Chikungunya Vaccine Use Among Adult Travelers on October 26, 2023. Chikungunya outbreaks are primarily found in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.

IXCHIQ® (VLA1553) is an approved monovalent, single-dose, live-attenuated chikungunya vaccine. Valneva SE's VLA1553 is currently the only chikungunya vaccine showing fully sustained titers 1-year after a single vaccination. 

CHIKV-VLP Chikungunya vaccine candidate is a multi-protein structure that mimics the organization and conformation of naturally occurring viruses without the viral genome, which could promote a more robust immune response and increased antibody production.

mRNA-1944 encodes a fully human IgG antibody isolated initially from the B cells of a patient with a prior history of potent immunity against Chikungunya infection. 

Cholera Vaccine

As of 2023, cholera vaccines remain on allocation, with limited availability. Three WHO-prequalified two-dose oral cholera vaccines, Dukoral®, Shanchol™, and Euvichol®, are used for international travelers. Cholera outbreaks have been reported in Haiti, Malawi, Africa, and Syria during 2023.

Vaxchora is an oral cholera vaccine for active immunization against disease caused by Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1.

DUKORAL® is available in Europe, the U.K., and various countries. 

Dengue Vaccines

Dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease. Various countries have approved two dengue vaccines, and several candidates are conducting clinical trials in 2023. Dengue outbreaks have accelerated in 2023, including in Florida, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.

Dengvaxia® is a live attenuated tetravalent chimeric vaccine licensed in the U.S. and elsewhere.

QDENGA® is a tetravalent dengue vaccine licensed in Indonesia, Europe, the U.K., and Brazil.

Ebola Vaccines

Ebola outbreaks in Africa began in 1976 and continue in 2023.

Ervebo, Ebola Zaire Vaccine, Live, is a recombinant, replication-competent Ebola vaccine with a vesicular stomatitis virus, which has been genetically engineered to express a glycoprotein from the Zaire ebolavirus to provoke a neutralizing immune response to the Ebola virus.

The combination of Zabdeno (Ad26.ZEBOV) and Mvabea (MVA-BN-Filo) is an Ebola vaccine therapy.

Ebanga™ (mAb114, Ansuvimab-zykl) is a human monoclonal antibody approved for treating Zaire ebolavirus infections.

Sudan Ebolavirus vaccines are being developed in clinical trials.

Hajj and Umrah Vaccinations

The Saudi Ministry of Health established vaccine requirements for visitors to obtain an Entry Visa for Hajj 2023 and Umrah in 2023. 

Influenza Vaccines

Flu shots are recommended for international travelers wherever influenza viruses spread in 2023. The 2023-2024 flu season began in the United States in October 2023.

Japanese Encephalitis Vaccines

JENVAC is a single-dose inactivated Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine. This Vero cell-derived vaccine is prepared from the virus's Indian strain (Kolar- 821564XYs).

Ixiaro is an inactivated, adsorbed Vero cell culture-derived vaccine targeted against the Japanese encephalitis virus. It is prepared by propagating JEV strain SA14-14-2 in Vero cells.

Lassa Fever Vaccine

Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic fever without an approved vaccine in 2023.

Leptospirosis

The risk of acquiring leptospirosis, a bacterial disease, is reduced by not swimming in water contaminated with animal urine. Leptospirosis, also called Weil disease, is the most common zoonotic infection in the world. At least one-third of patients who develop aseptic meningitis continue to complain of headaches and other neurological deficits chronically. 

Lyme Disease Vaccines

Lyme disease outbreaks continue in Europe and the United States in 2023. Various Lyme disease vaccine candidates are completing late-stage clinical studies.

VLA15 is a multivalent recombinant protein vaccine candidate targeting Borrelia's outer surface protein A designed for prophylactic, active immunization against Lyme disease to protect people

Malaria Vaccines

Malaria outbreaks continue in 2023, and malaria vaccines are available in Africa but not in the U.S.

Mosquirix (RTS,S/AS01e) is a recombinant vaccine that triggers the immune system to defend against the first stages of infections when the Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite enters the human host's bloodstream through a mosquito bite.

R21/Matrix-M™ Malaria vaccine is produced by the Serum Institute of India and developed by scientists at the University of Oxford in England. As of October 2023, the WHO recommends it.

Marburg Disease Vaccines

Marburg vaccine candidates are conducting clinical trials, and various Marburg disease outbreaks have been reported in 2022 and 2023.

Measles Vaccines

Measles outbreaks continue in 2023, including in the U.S. Various measles vaccines are available in 2023.

M-M-R II vaccine is also known as the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Virus Vaccine Live, a live virus vaccine containing weakened forms of the measles, mumps, and rubella virus. M-M-R II works by helping the immune system protect itself from these viruses.

The Proquad vaccine is a combined, attenuated, live virus vaccine that contains measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) viruses.

Priorix is currently licensed in over 100 countries. It is recommended for use in individuals aged ≥nine months, according to a 1- or 2-dose vaccination scenery.

MERS Vaccine

As of 2023, no approved MERS-CoV vaccines exist, but cases continue to be reported in the Middle East.

Mpox Vaccine

The JYNNEOS smallpox-mpox vaccine is available in certain cities reporting mpox outbreaks in 2023.

Nipah Virus Vaccines

Nipah virus vaccine candidates continue in phase 1 clinical trials in 2023. Since 1999, Nipah outbreaks have occurred in Asia, including Bangladesh and India.

Polio Vaccines

Polio vaccination, including booster shots, is recommended when visiting polio-endemic countries in 2023.

IPOL is a sterile suspension of three types of poliovirus: Type 1 (Mahoney), Type 2 (MEF-1), and Type 3 (Saukett). Sanofi Pasteur's single-antigen IPOL vaccine is a highly purified, inactivated poliovirus vaccine with enhanced potency.

Sabin Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine is a liquid trivalent vaccine produced from Sabin poliovirus type 1, 2, and 3 strains grown on Vero cells.

nOPV2 polio vaccine is derived from the live, infectious virus, but it has been 'triple-locked using genetic engineering to prevent it from becoming harmful. nOPV2M4a is genetically more stable than existing OPVs, with a lower risk of reversion to neurovirulence. 

Rabies Vaccines

Various rabies vaccines and candidates seek to reduce rabies mortality in 2023.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

RMSF is endemic in multiple border states in northern Mexico, including but not exclusive to Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Nuevo León. As of December 8, 2023, five patients have been diagnosed with confirmed RMSF since late July 2023; all had traveled to or residence in Tecate within two weeks of illness onset. As of December 2023, there is not an approved RMSF vaccine, however, the CDC says early treatment with doxycycline saves lives.

Rotavirus Vaccines

Since 2019, four rotavirus vaccines have been prequalified by the WHO. 

GSK's Rotarix is a live, attenuated rotavirus vaccine that exposes your child to a small dose of the virus, which causes the body to develop immunity to the disease.

Tick-Borne Encephalitis Vaccine

TicoVac vaccine is marketed by Pfizer Inc. under the brand names FSME-Immun® in Europe and TICOVAC™ in the U.S. It was developed using a master 'seed' virus similar to the tick-borne encephalitis virus found in nature.

Tuberculosis Vaccine

The BCG vaccine can prevent tuberculosis and tuberculosis meningitis and is used for nonspecific protective effects. Various BCG vaccines are available globally in 2023. TB outbreaks have been reported in certain U.S. states and multiple countries.

Typhoid Vaccine

Typhoid vaccines are available in 2023 and are recommended for people traveling to places where typhoid fever is common, such as South Asia (India).

Vivotif oral vaccine (capsules) is indicated for the immunization of adults and children over six years of age against disease caused by Salmonella Typhi. It contains live bacteria called Salmonella typhi strain Ty21a, which does not cause typhoid fever. Bavarian Nordic A/S owns Vivotif Oral and is available in the U.S.

Typbar TCV is a vaccine containing polysaccharide of Salmonella typhi Ty2 conjugated to Tetanus Toxoid.

Typhim VI is a sterile solution prepared from the purified polysaccharide capsule of Salmonella typhi (Ty 2 strain). 

Yellow Fever Vaccines

The WHO updated the country list containing yellow fever vaccine requirements. The 'yellow card' (ICVP) must provide proof of vaccination against yellow fever.

YF-VAX® vaccine is licensed in the U.S. and requires about ten days to produce maximum immunity.

Stamaril® is distributed in over 70 countries in 2023, but not in the U.S. 

Zika Virus Vaccines

While Zika virus outbreaks continue in 2023. The Region of the Americas has reported 31,780 Zika Cases in 2023. No approved Zika vaccines are available.

Combination Travel Vaccines

Kinrix is a vaccine to prevent Diphtheria, Tetanus Toxoids, Pertussis, and Polio.

Pediarix is a vaccine containing noninfectious proteins from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis bacteria, hepatitis B virus, and inactivated polioviruses.

Travel Vaccine FAQs

Frequently asked questions and answers related to travel vaccines are published by trusted sources, such as:

• Immunization Action Coalition
• The U.S. Health & Human Services
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• U.S. Department of State
• World Health Organization
• U.K. National Health Service

Note: This content is aggregated from various news sources and vaccine research organizations and has been fact-checked by healthcare providers, such as Dr. Robert Carlson.