April 2 marks International Fact-checking Day – a day on which to focus on the facts and not on misinformation. It is also perhaps one on which we should concentrate on putting as much data behind factual-information as possible, with the assistance of 21st century ways of doing things, such as the advanced Pinpoint Travel Health vaccine and antimalarial planning service.
To that end, let’s focus on some of the facts behind the need for travel vaccines and pre-travel vaccination programmes. This is an area of travel that frequently goes under the radar and which is not talked about enough. For a UK traveller this starts with the need, which is rarely expressed, to absolutely check that all ‘routine’ immunisations are up-to-date within the individual traveller’s health record.
Gaps in the childhood vaccination programme in the UK and the travel risk
That references the fact that some diseases should have been safeguarded against through the UK’s childhood vaccination programme. There are issues here, however. Some UK children have gaps in their vaccine record. Some parents decided against having their child vaccinated against some diseases, so even some adults have incomplete vaccine records. The pandemic also led to some children missing routine vaccinations.
Whilst life in the UK may not always put such adults and children at risk, we have seen a significant outbreak of measles in the UK in 2024 and also a polio scenario emerging. Elsewhere in the world, the situation with the diseases covered by the ‘routine’ vaccination programme is much more severe. The fact is that, if your routine vaccinations are not up-to-date, you could face a higher risk than other travellers. You need to check your record and fill in gaps.
The need to check on vaccine boosters before travelling
The same diligence is needed when establishing the facts about boosters. How long ago did you last have a ‘routine’ vaccination. Is there a need for a booster, if you want to travel. Again, you need to establish the facts provided by your health record. Vaccine boosters are another aspect of international travel that are not given enough emphasis.
Yellow Fever around the world
When it comes to travel, each geographical area of the world has its own particular disease issues. When it comes to Yellow Fever, Africa and South America are hard-hit. The facts are that Yellow Fever is present in:
Africa
Angola
Benin
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Cote d’Ivoire
Democratic Republic of Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Gabon
The Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Liberia
Mali
Mauritania
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
Sierra Leone
South Sudan
Sudan
Togo
Uganda
Central and South America
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana
Guyana
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago (Trinidad only)
Venezuela
Some countries will require you to present Yellow Fever certification – proof of a Yellow Fever certificate – even if there is no Yellow Fever present in the country you are visiting. This will affect you, if you have travelled from, or transited through, a country with the disease. You need to check the facts relating to this, if you could be impacted by this regulation.
Rabies risks worldwide
Many countries also present a rabies risk, especially when there are many wild and stray animals on the streets and in the countryside. It pays to consider a rabies vaccine, if you are travelling in the Caribbean and Central America, Africa and parts of Asia, in particular. Even if travelling in Oceania, you should note that there is a rabies risk in Kiribati.
Travel vaccines for Hajj and Umrah
Another fact relates to pilgrim-focused occasions like Hajj and Umrah. If visiting these religious pilgrimages, you will need proof of a meningococcal meningitis vaccination – costing around £60 – that has been administered within the past three years and not less than 10 days before arrival in the country where the pilgrimage is taking place.
Other facts to take on board
- Globally, there are an estimated 1.3 million to 4 million cases of cholera per year[i]
- More than 10 million people fall ill with TB every year and 1.4 million deaths result from this disease, making it the second leading single agent infectious killer after COVID-19.[ii]
- Hepatitis A is spread through infected food and water and generally in areas of poor sanitation. This can lead to fatalities
- Malaria is a life-threatening disease that can be assisted by taking anti-malarial treatments. In 2023, malaria cases rose significantly, with around 11 million more cases than in 2022. The total number of cases rose to an estimated 263 million.[iii]
The Pinpoint Travel Health travel vaccine planning service
Pinpoint Travel Health’s travel vaccination planning service – delivered through highly personalised and accurate Travel Health Briefs – is based on facts. Those facts come to it through data, provided by the World Health Organisation and other authorities. The minute a fact about a disease outbreak is known, the system updates to encompass it.
The system also operates on the basis of factual information to a degree that the majority, if not all, other travel vaccination planning platforms do not. Many simply have ‘recommendations’ as to which vaccines are required, with a recommendation often only being on a country-wide basis. Pinpoint Travel Health simplifies everything and adds clarity.
It looks at the facts about diseases which are appertaining within specific, pinpointed locations, right down to village or conference centre level. This tells you whether a disease risk is present in that pinpointed location. Fact.
It also looks at the time of travel, to factually tell you whether seasonality will affect your vaccine requirements.
It factually looks at contraindications with other medicines you are taking and at your own health record, to assess whether vaccination is an issue.
It factually presents you with the need for Yellow Fever certification, if that exists.
It factually highlights which antimalarial treatment you may need, for the location to which you are travelling.
It considers, as a fact, how long your stay will be and what, if any, types of work or volunteering you might be taking part in.
At a factual level, a Pinpoint Travel Health Brief also provides you with factual information, by highlighting at which travel clinics you could get the vaccinations that the report suggests you need.
On this International Fact-checking Day, if you are planning to travel overseas, to a far-flung country, off-the-beaten-track, into the countryside, on a volunteering expedition or on a gap year adventure, isn’t it time you checked out the travel vaccination facts? With the help of Pinpoint Travel Health, and for very little financial outlay for your Pinpoint Travel Health Brief, that can be child’s play.
[i] https://www.who.int/health-topics/cholera#tab=tab_1
[ii] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-in-england-2023-report-data-up-to-end-of-2022/tb-incidence-and-epidemiology-england-2022#:~:text=TB%20remains%20the%20second%20leading,and%201.4%20million%20dying%20globally.
[iii] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria