Summer Abroad endeavors to provide correct information regarding health conditions and recommended vaccinations and immunizations; however, information may frequently change. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of new health information regarding the locations to which they plan to travel. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) provide a wealth of information for the traveler. Please review the pertinent information on their websites prior to your departure.
Check the chart and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) site (www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm) for recommended and required vaccinations. The vaccinations are listed here to give you plenty of time to make an appointment with a doctor or travel nurse, who will recommend when you should get your shots. DO NOT put this off; certain vaccinations, such as Hepatitis B, require that you start months before you travel.
All shots should be recorded on the International Certificate of Vaccination card that is approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). The vaccination card is available from the Student Health Center or County Health Department. Students should take the vaccination card abroad with them. Even though the host government may not require inoculation records for entry purposes, the card may be useful while traveling outside the host country, particularly in Asia and Africa.
Recommended Immunizations and Vaccinations
This chart is adapted from the travel pages of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Discuss the shots recommended below with your doctor or travel nurse. We are not doctors and, therefore, cannot advise students specifically about each of these shots. Be sure to inform your physician of any plans to travel to destinations outside of your program itinerary, so that all necessary immunizations can be received prior to departure.
CDC Recommendations—See Vaccines and Immunizations @ http://www.cdc.gov/
Program Location |
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| Recommended Immunizations and Vaccinations | Argentina | Australia | Brazil | Chile | China | Costa Rica | Europe | India | Japan | Mexico | Russia | South Africa | Trinidad-Tobago |
| Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hepatitis B | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Malaria | Yes* | * | Yes | Yes | |||||||||
| Typhoid | Yes* | Yes* | Yes* | Yes* | Yes* | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate | Yes* | *** |
Yes** | ||||||||||
| Tetanus booster, Diphtheria booster – as needed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Measles booster, as needed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Polio Vaccine for adults – one time dose | Yes | Yes | |||||||||||
* See CDC website for endemic areas.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is increasing worldwide, and doctors are reporting cases that are not related to unprotected sex and/or drug use. Students should consider getting a hepatitis B vaccination before going abroad. The vaccination must be started a minimum of six months prior to departure to complete the series