Vaccines could have prevented illness in many returned travellers
12 November 2010
One in every 100 ill travellers has a vaccine-preventable disease (VPD), according to international surveillance data covering a 10-year period.
The study was the largest single analysis of travel illness data available, the authors said, with Australia having one of the higher rates of VPD based on information collected about 37,000 returned travellers by the international GeoSentinel Surveillance Network.
Younger age, being male, lack of pre-travel advice and travelling to South-Central Asia were all independently associated with VPDs which were diagnosed on the travellers' return home.
Travellers born or living in Italy, Japan and Australia were found to be at increased risk, the authors said.
Three of the 580 patients diagnosed with a VPD died – one each due to rabies, pneumococcal meningitis and infection with Salmonella typhi (typhoid).
Last Reviewed: 12 November 2010
- Boggild AK, Castelli F, Gautret P, et al; GeoSentinel Surveillance Network. Vaccine preventable diseases in returned international travelers: results from the GeoSentinel Surveillance Network. Vaccine 2010; 28: 7389-95. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.09.009 (Epub 2010 Sep 17.)
Sponsored links
Advertisement
Related Articles
Hepatitis A: information for travellersHepatitis B: information for travellersMeningococcal disease: information for travellersRabies: information for travellersTravel vaccinations
Related Topics
Vaccinations for travel
Related Tools
Travelturtle - personalised travel health reports 
