Different countries
present different health risks that travelers need to prepare for. People going
to Southeast Asia, for example, are at risk for diseases and illnesses that one
won’t find in say, North Africa. But even within one country you’ll find that
health risks can vary from region to region, and even from city to city. If
you’re planning a trip to Brazil, the kind of Brazil travel immunization you’ll need will depend on what
cities you plan on spending most of your time in. For clarity, make an appointment
with a doctor at a travel clinic that specializes in travel medicine.
No matter where you’re
traveling, everyone should have their essential vaccinations up to date. These
are the standard immunizations for vaccine-preventable diseases such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, and the routine ones most of
us get as children (MMR, DPT, polio,
etc.). If you haven’t been vaccinated for any of these in a while, your travel
doctor may recommend you get your second round before traveling to Brazil.
The other two
vaccinations that the CDC recommends travelers to Brazil get are yellow fever
and malaria. But whether you need yellow fever vaccination depends entirely on what cities you plan on visiting.
For yellow fever, the
only areas where a vaccination is not
recommended are a few coastal cities: San Paulo, Recife, Fortaleza, Salvador,
and, everyone’s favorite, Rio de Janeiro. Rio is by far Brazil’s biggest
tourist attraction, with almost three million tourists a year. So chances are
if you’re reading this you’re probably planning on spending most of your time
in this beach friendly city. If this is true, then you do NOT have to worry
about getting yellow fever!
You also don’t have to
worry about malaria! Like yellow fever, malaria is transmitted through
mosquitos, which tend to hang out in the more tropical parts of the country.
Thus if you stick to those coastal cities you may only have to get the standard
vaccinations listed above.
However, if you’re
looking forward to venturing into the more tropical parts of Brazil, then you
need to visit a travel clinic for
a complete evaluation for what immunizations you will need. To protect yourself
from yellow fever, your doctor will recommend you getting the yellow fever
vaccination. For malaria, there are antimalarial drugs such as
atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine that are suited for Brazil.
The CDC strongly warns travelers against the chloroquine malaria drug, stating
that it is not effective in protecting one against malaria in Brazil. Be sure
to ask your doctor what kind of malaria medication he or she plans on
prescribing. You may not be able to pronounce it, but you can sure run it
through the CDC’s website to learn more about its side effects and efficiency
in Brazil.
Get your Brazil travel immunization in NYC and
your other travel medicines at the travel clinic located in New York City, at 274 Madison Avenue between 39th
and 40th streets. It’s certified to administer the yellow fever
vaccination, meaning if you need it you won’t have to go to a second location
for it. Just come in and meet with their awesome travel doctor; you’ll leave
with everything you need. Visit travel clinic to make an appointment.
Meet
with a travel doctor to insure you get exactly what you need for exactly where
you’re going. Then enjoy your stay in beautiful Brazil.
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