The Center for Disease Control lists routine, recommended, and required vaccinations for every country in the world.
Most vaccines require time to effective, so it is important to schedule them ideally four to six weeks before your trip. Some vaccinations require multiple dosages over the course of days or weeks. Review with your personal physician what routine vaccinations you have had, still need or need boosters for, as well as the recommended vaccinations for European travel. Currently there’s no required vaccination for European travel, only for travel in yellow fever prone countries in Africa and South America. Saudi Arabia requires the meningococcal vaccine for Hajj travel. If you cannot schedule the vaccinations in advance, get them anyway as you may yet benefit from them.
Your European vaccination travel checklist should include:
- Schedule doctor visit
- Know what vaccinations you need
- Knowing if you have an immunocompromised system, including HIV
- Pregnancy? Traveling with infants? Breastfeeding? Children?
- Have you begun to research your destination’s health requirements, if any?
Your physician will tell you what vaccinations you need to complete your routine schedule as well as what recommended vaccines you will need for your destination. Let your physician know:
- Where you will be traveling in Western or Eastern Europe
- Will you be traveling into rural or remote areas
- When you will be traveling
It will be taken into account with your known age, health status and previous record in order to determine which of the recommended vaccinations are right for you. Western European nations may have different requirements than Eastern European nations. Some countries are recovering from war and other issues that may affect the environment and possibly your health, others may have no issue at all.
H1N1 and the seasonal flu continue to be a global concern. Q fever is an issue in The Netherlands as well as measles in the United Kingdom and throughout Western Europe, and Typhoid Fever in Eastern Europe.
You are responsibly for all expenses incurred while traveling in another country should you become ill. The U.S. Department of State has country specific information regarding travel insurance. You need to check with your insurance agent to see if your current coverage needs updated to include extra travel medical insurance or other type of medical insurance rider or new policy. You will still need to pay all costs of care even if you have insurance and file a claim later.
