According to when travelling to other countries, immunisation is in some cases a necessity. The foreign countries that someone might be visiting can have diseases. Having vaccinations will prevent you from contracting such diseases and will also prevent you from bringing diseases back with you and spreading it around. The kinds of diseases that a traveller should be vaccinated against are:
- Tuberculosis
- Polio
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
A traveller doesn't necessarily have to be vaccinated against all these diseases. They just need to be vaccinated against the kind of diseases that's present in the country they're visiting.
Hepatitis A-this can be contracted from contaminated food and water. Travellers should receive this vaccination 4 weeks before their departure.
Polio-vaccinations against Polio are usually recommended for all destinations. The actual vaccine is given in the first 2 years of life. Boosters are given when travelling.
Tuberculosis-If someone hasn’t been vaccinated yet against TB and is intending to stay for more than a month at their travel destination than they should receive a BCG vaccination
Typhoid-this vaccination is recommended for all destinations. It can only be given to those that are over 2 years of age. Travellers should receive this vaccine 2 weeks prior to their departure.
Section 2-causes, symptoms and risks
Diptheria
Diptheria is a contagious and life-threatening disease. It’s caused by Corynebacterium Diptheria. It’s caught by breathing in bacteria which is usually spread in droplets of moisture coughed into the air. The bacterium then multiplies in the mouth or the throat of the individual who breathes them in. Symptoms of the disease include:
- Low grade fever
- Inflammation of the throat which can affect the voice box
- Rapid, faint pulse
- Pale, shocked appearance
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Having diphtheria can cause other complications such as respiratory obstruction, pneumonia, organ failure, and inflammation of the heart.
Tetanus
Tetanus is a disease which affects the muscles and can cause breathing problems. This disease is contracted through a cut or wound from bacteria which can be found in soil and manure. Symptoms include:
- Headache
- Muscular stiffness in the jaw (lock jaw)
- Stiffness of the neck
- Difficulty swallowing
- Spasms
- Fever
Complications can develop through these symptoms. E.g., the muscular stiffness in the jaw may prevent the patient from opening and closing their mouth and can lead to suffocation.
Pertussis
This disease is also known as whooping cough. It’s an infection of the respiratory system caused but the bacterium Bordetella Pertussis. It’s a disease that can cause long bouts of coughing and choking making it harder to breathe. It can last up to 2 weeks. It’s not serious in older children and adults but the groups most at risk are infants especially those under the age of 1. The disease mainly attacks the respiratory system and central nervous system. A majority cases involve some degree of lung collapsing or pneumonia. Older children and adults may easily recover from this but it can be fatal for babies. However, if pneumonia is severe enough it can lead to death. Those who overcame this disease usually don’t have any permanent lung damage
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is caused by consumining contaminated food and water. It’s a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. This disease can affect anyone, although adults will have more signs and symptoms than children. Symptoms of the disease include;
- Jaundice
- Fatigue
- Abdominal pain
- Loos of appetite
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
- Fever
Once you’ve had Hepatitis A you can’t get it again. However, you can avoid contracting the disease by washing your hands with soap after going toilet, changing diapers and before preparing and eating food.
Typhoid
Typhoid’s caused by an infection by the bacteria Salmonella Typhi. It usually lasts up to 10-20 days. Symptoms include;
- Fever
- Headache
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
If this disease isn’t treated quickly enough the mortality rate of it will be 1-10.
Malaria
Malaria is a serious infection contracted from a mosquito bite and affects the blood. It’s a major problem in tropical countries. Malaria’s caused by a 1-celled parasite called Plasmodium. People with Malaria usually have cycles of chills, fever and sweat that recurs every 1-3 days. Nausea anaemia, vomiting, jaundice and diarrhoea are the symptoms that go along with these cycles. There’s no vaccine for this disease but it can be treated with anti-malaria drugs. You can prevent contracting this disease by;
- Using insect repellent and mosquito nets soaked in repellent
- Covering your arms and legs between sunset and sunrise.
Rabies
Rabies is a viral infection hat affects the nervous system. It’s transmitted to humans in saliva by a bite of an infected animal. Symptoms include;
- Fever
- Headache
- Malaire
- Numbness
- Tingling around the wound
- Spasms
- Hydrophobia
- Hallucinations
- Extreme thirst
The risks associated with this diease are that paralysis and coma may develop.
Measles
Measles is an infection caused by a virus and is most common in children (1-4 years). The first symptoms include a runny nose, sore eyes, and fever. Later symptoms include a rash, diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain. The disease mostly lasts up to 2 weeks. However, other complications mat arise which include pneumonia and eye and ear infection.
Mumps
Mumps is caused by the mumps virus. Mumps symptoms are acute and include a severe swelling of the salivary glands under the jaw bone. Adults are more likely to have complications, if they become infected than children. Pregnant women are also at risk as exposure to the virus in the first weeks of pregnancy can increase the rate of spontaneous abortion.
Rubella
Also known as German measles, this disease is caused by a virus that’s spread from person to person when an infected coughs or sneezes. Symptoms include a rash, slight fever, aching joints, headaches, a runny nose and reddened eyes.
Cholera
This disease is an acute illness caused by the infection of the intestine by the bacteria Vibro cholerea. Symptoms include;
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
If it’s left untreated, rapid dehydration, shock and even death ca occurs within hours However, mild cases with only diarrhoea are common, particularly among children.
Side effects of vaccine can occur. However, it’s not common and any side effects are usually mild and don’t cause any permanent damage. Some of the side effects that it can cause are:
- A sore arm
- Swelling around the injection site
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- tiredness
Sometimes vaccines can’t be given for various reasons such as:
- People are under the age limit. Infants under 6 months may not receive vaccinations because it’s too risky
- People are suffering from fever or serious infections
- If you’re pregnant, unless specifically advised by your doctor.
- Have a allergic reaction to the vaccine
Section 3-Evaluation
There are many advantages when it comes to receiving immunisation. It doesn’t only prevent you from getting the disease but also prevents you from passing it around. These vaccines save lives and without it there would probably be an epidemic of them. They also increase people’s life expectancy. I think the disadvantages of vaccines are small. However, vaccines don’t always help. E.g. The Typhoid vaccine doesn’t prevent someone from contacting the disease from contaminated water. Also people are scared and sometimes unaware of what vaccinations can do. E.g. some parents would prefer that their child didn’t receive MMR vaccine because they believe that it might actually harm their child rather than protect him/her from diseases. The physical effects (side effects) that some people might have from vaccines seems less worse than the emotional effects of it. Some people are scared of needles so having to go to the doctor to get a jab seems really frightening to them. Also some people might not want even have a jab because of religious or cultural reasons.
