The splendor of world travel and protection through immunization

Traveling around the world is a hoot. If you haven’t already, you really should! Sure it can end up costing you tons of cash, but it really doesn’t have to! By no means is traveling on a budget entirely possible, and in some ways, much more rewarding. For one, you’re not artificially separated from the locals by expensive hotels and restaurants. There are plenty of things one should do before flying and visiting a certified travel clinic for an immunization or two is a great idea depending on where you’re going.

Immunization is another word for vaccination and are given to combat and protect against any disease that may persist in your destination country. Diseases, you say? Yes, but there is nothing to worry about, even if, according to the World Health Organization, there are at least 6,000 rare diseases and more than 12,000 other categories of diseases worldwide. Sure the numbers seem to indicate it, but that shouldn’t stop you from starting to travel, one only has to worry about picking up a microscopic percentage of existing diseases while traveling, and there’s a vaccine available for every one.

Sure, we’re being a bit light-hearted, but facts are facts, the world is a dangerous place, there’s no getting around it. However, even though one may need a little extra protection against disease through an immunization while traveling, this is no excuse to stay at home and never experience the world first hand. Once you start traveling, you will most likely never stop. It can be like an addiction; an addiction to other cultures, wonderful places, delicious food and friendly foreigners. All of these things come together to make traveling the world one of the highlights of any fulfilling life.

So where to go? Is there a place on earth that is more dangerous in terms of indigenous diseases than any other? Well yes, that continent is probably the continent of Africa. Once again though, with the help of a certified travel medic and his immunization skills, one can behold the splendor of wild elephants at a watering hole bathing with their spray trunks or even settle with a tribe like the Masai, whose Kenyan culture is fascinating and their welcoming attitude is famous throughout the world.

One of the most dangerous diseases, and for which immunization is surely needed, is yellow fever. Yellow fever is a potentially deadly disease that remains a threat in many areas of the world, not just Africa. Vaccination against yellow fever is recommended if you plan to travel to Africa, Central and South America, and/or parts of Asia. It spreads through the bite of an infected mosquito, making it difficult to stop its devastating path.

Other travel-related illnesses that have vaccines available include malaria, typhoid fever, and Japanese encephalitis. The immunization process is commonly administered by a single injection. However, a rabies immunization is up to five injections (although this is the exception rather than the rule). Receiving a travel immunization is very safe and affordable, and significantly reduces the risk of contracting any disease abroad.