Traveling abroad this summer? Get up to date on routine…

Houston, TX - Jun 17, 2026

Share this article

Do your summer travel plans include trips abroad? If so, are you up to date on your routine general vaccines? Dr. Jill Weatherhead, associate professor of infectious diseases and tropical medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, explains that being up to date on vaccines as directed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is the most important thing you can do before traveling internationally.

"This includes tetanus, pertussis, measles, especially right now, and meningitis, depending on where you are going," Weatherhead said. "Your primary provider will be an excellent source of information to help you understand which vaccines are required for you personally."

Vaccine preparation before your international trip is crucial. Some travelers may not do the best job of seeking travel counsel from their primary care providers or, in certain cases, a travel medicine provider to evaluate where they are going and the risk factors abroad that may require additional prophylaxis or travel-related vaccines.

"The epidemiology is different depending on where you are traveling. Also, as an individual, you have different comorbidities. It's important that at a minimum, you meet with your PCP before travel to determine what those preventative measures are," Weatherhead said.

She recommends seeking guidance from your PCP at least several months in advance. Vaccines need to be given at least two weeks prior to your travel, and some require multiple doses, so early planning is important.

Travel-specific vaccines are dependent on where you are going and what activities you will be doing. Weatherhead says this can include the yellow fever vaccine, which is required for entrance into certain countries, and the typhoid vaccine. The typhoid vaccine is not required for entrance into certain countries but is recommended for countries that have ongoing transmission.

"If you're going to a malaria endemic area, it is highly recommended that you take chemoprophylaxis to prevent severe disease from malaria. Other preventative medications, like antibiotics for traveler's diarrhea, are also important," Weatherhead said.

Vaccines protect you, the community you are visiting and the community you are returning to after travel. If you are feeling ill, stay at home.

In addition to vaccines, non-medical healthy travel tips for infection prevention abroad include:

• Drinking filtered or bottled water.
• Eating foods that have been cooked, peeled or boiled to prevent bacterial or infectious contamination.
• Washing your hands with soap and water.
• Mosquito and other insect avoidance, bug spray/repellent with DEET, wearing long sleeves and long pants to prevent bites and using bed nets for vector-borne diseases.