What vaccines do I need?
Staying healthy abroad is not just about having a vaccination or taking a few tablets it's about fully appreciating the associated risks and avoiding them as far as possible, all of which we discuss at The Travel Clinic.
It is impossible to say what vaccines are needed, as it is not known what diseases you will encounter when away. So that is why a risk assessment is required. One needs to know how diseases are spread, before you think about immunising
Travel checklist The main risks for travellers fall into three categories:
1. Vaccine-preventable diseases
2. Insect-borne diseases
3. Gastrointestinal illnesses, such as diarrhoea, which is caused by contaminated food and water
This may be misleading, the major cause of preventable deaths in travellers is injuries.
In any case, preventive measures can reduce the possibility of all these problems -- from making sure one's vaccines are up-to-date to drinking only bottled water.
If business travellers are more at risk than the average traveller, it is because they are less likely to take the necessary precautions.
Traveller's health is mostly common sense - Bugs, Bites and Bowels as written in Dr Jane Wilson-Howarth memorable book who practices here at The Travel Clinic Ltd
http://www.travelclinic.ltd.uk/publications.aspx
While specific health risks may vary, recommended travel precautions include:
• Before the trip, assess the potential health risks for the country the person is visiting. These will vary depending on what parts of the country they will visit, the time of year, and the kind of accommodation they will stay in.
• Ensure that you bring previous records of vaccinations with you

Most children recover well from a bout of chicken pox, It is not usually a life threatening disease. They may be off school for 7-10 days and have up to 250-500 itchy red blisters and spots; they recover well and have just a few scars.
Varicella or chicken pox is highly infectious. It spreads rapidly through households, and is very common with infection of up to 90% of vulnerable individuals who come into contact with the virus

 However occasionally severe complications such as meningitis and pneumonia occur especially as one gets older. The rate of admissions to hospital for treatment of varicella is 900% higher in adults although 90% of are people affected before adolescence.

10-20% of people who had had chickenpox will eventually develop shingles (a condition characterised by numbness, itching, or severe pain that may last for many weeks and may reoccur.

In pregnancy there is a fear of severe damage to the developing baby as well as complications with the mother
It is a course of two vaccines with about 6 weeks between doses

Until recently it was recommended that children should just have one vaccine, with the over twelve years and adults having two injections. The Department of Guidelines were changed in February 2010 so here at The Travel Clinic Ltd we are recalling all children to have their second dose of varicella vaccine
Later this Spring 2010 a vaccination against shingles will be released, the DOH are looking at vaccinating elderly people with the vaccine first as they are extremely vulnerable, this vaccine will be available from The Travel Clinic Ltd as soon as it is released.
 
http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Chickenpox-(Varicella).htm is a useful source of information

The raising and consumption of dog meat has been linked to the transmission of rabies to humans with two reported cases in China, one in Vietnam, and two deaths reported in the PhilippinesAlso, workers processing the meat from a rabid dog can easily become infected with rabies.

Recently a child in the Philippines has died after eating dog at a family party.

Rabies may be transmitted if dog meat is not well cooked, or eaten raw The most familiar form of eating dog meat is in the form of spiced chunks cooked in a hot-pot stew, but this is hardly the only form. Approximately 100 different dishes may be made from a single dog, depending on the local dog-cooking conventions, and not all of them are cooked. Sometimes the brains, tongue, and/or testicles are eaten raw. Sometimes uncooked "cold cuts" are eaten in sandwich wraps

It may be an issue for travellers who unknowingly may eat a stew containing dog meat, it is advised to have well cooked meat at all times.

Rabies vaccine is recommended for all travelers who may be unable to access prompt medical aid and the fast acting vaccine immunoglobulin, which is given within 24-48 hours of the bite or contact.

Infections with rabies occur when the virus is first inoculated into the victim and then absorbed into a susceptible cell where it multiplies. The virus then enters nerve endings. The virus will migrate to the brain and once the virus has then entered the brain, rabies symptoms begin to occur. Rabies is almost universally fatal afterwards. The term rabies refers only to when the person has the fatal condition.

The average incubation time before the development of symptoms is 90 days, although is has occurred is as little as 7-10 days to greater than a year. Rarely only a few days resulted in rabies and 1 case was over 6 years.

Children tend to develop symptoms faster because bites are closer to the brain (the virus have less to travel towards the brain), and often more severe.

Pre-exposure vaccination is giving the rabies vaccine to people who might be exposed to rabies.

The vaccine is given in three doses with a booster at 1 year and every 3- 5 years after. It eliminates the need for post exposure immunoglobulin treatment after a rabid bite, which may not even be available in certain countries.