Studies show that more than 70,000 American adults die each year from vaccine-preventable
diseases contracted via contaminated food, contact with tainted objects, insect bites, contact
with blood and airborne infections.
The goals for the nation, as articulated in Healthy People
2010 , have recommended adult vaccination only for
influenza and pneumonia. While government agencies in
the US require pediatric inoculations, with the exception
of travel related vaccine guidelines and some university
and college admission requirements, there are no industry
or lifestyle requirements regulating the administration
of adult vaccinations.
In general, the more your travel pattern and travel conditions deviates from your usual practices,
the higher are your health risks. For instance, if you are a city dweller who works in an air-conditioned
office and takes most of your meals at home or at restaurants, you may not have the natural
immunity against many infectious agents circulating in the developing countries. Going back packing
to a rural area, camping in the outdoors and eating at road-side stalls and having close contacts
with the local people may expose you to diseases that you may otherwise not be at risk for.
Every
trip and every traveler are different and a risk assessment depends on many factors including
destination, duration of travel, season of travel, intended activities, medical background as
well as lifestyle practices and food habits.
Who is at risk?
Travelers
- Business Travelers – Corporate employees
traveling to a from meetings, industry events
seminars and conferences
-
Travel Industry Employees – Traveling individuals
employed by travel industry companies including
airlines, international tour operators, cruise-lines,
adventure tour operators
-
Pleasure Travelers – Traveling individuals
and families
“At Risk” Individuals
- College & University Populations – Large
groups of people living within close proximity
to each other in a campus-based environment and
those who participate in study programs outside
of the United States
-
Municipal Works – Those individuals including
police, fire and sanitation workers
-
‘At Risk’ Because of Lifestyles –
Individuals who participate in unprotected intimate
lifestyles with multiple partners, who play contact
sports, who work in construction or who spend
significant time in wilderness areas
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