Announcement
Important Vaccines for Summer 2008 International Travel
This information is current as of today, July 15, 2008 at 18:46

Information for Travelers

Summer is here, and many people will be packing to travel. No matter where you travel abroad this summer, please don’t let your vacation be spoiled by getting the measles, flu, hepatitis, or any other infection that could have been prevented by using routine or travel-related vaccines.

Why would this summer be any different from other years? Apart from the usual travel-related health risks, there are two international sports events this summer that are expected to increase travel from the US to specific places in Europe and Asia. People from many other countries will also attend these events. The locations of these events in Europe and Asia and the fact that they will be visited by crowds of people from all over the world make it important for travelers to be sure they are up-to-date on all routine and travel-related vaccines.

EURO 2008 Soccer Games

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) European Championship is being held in Austria and Switzerland during June 7-29, 2008. Travelers going to Austria or Switzerland for these games should be up-to-date on all routine vaccines, especially measles vaccine. This year, over 2,800 people have been reported as being sick with measles in several European countries, including Austria and Switzerland. If you are traveling to this event, read the travel health information on the CDC Austria and Switzerland destination pages and the news item on the official UEFA EURO 2008 website: Swiss recommend MMR vaccine for visitors. Then talk to your doctor to make sure you are up-to-date with your vaccinations.

2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games

Did you know that 600,000 foreign visitors and athletes and up to 2.5 million domestic visitors and volunteers are expected to attend the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games? If you’re planning to be one of them, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the health and safety tips on the Travelers’ Health Gold Medal Travel Health Tips for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and China destination web pages. These tips provide important information about disease risks in China and how to prevent them.

There is also a risk of acquiring measles in China. During 2008, several US residents have gotten sick with measles as a result of traveling to China or because they were in contact with a visitor from China. Also, many people going to the games will be coming from countries where measles is more common than in the US. If you are traveling to the Olympic or Paralympic Games, CDC recommends that you talk to your doctor to be sure that you are protected against measles and up-to-date on all recommended vaccines, including those recommended routinely and those recommended when traveling.

Summary of Advice for Travelers

If you are traveling to one of these sports events―or anywhere else―this summer, talk to your doctor to make sure you are up-to-date with your vaccinations. If you are traveling with children, be sure that they have been vaccinated, too.

Check the CDC Travelers’ Health recommendations for the country you are visiting by going to the Destinations page and searching for that country from the list or map. 

If you are going to the Olympics or Paralympics, read the information on the Gold Medal Travel Health Tips for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and China destination web pages.

Read the travel notices posted on the Travelers’ Health website for the countries where the two sports events will take place.

Source:CDC