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Travel vaccinations can help protect travellers against infectious diseases that may be uncommon in South Africa but present a risk in other countries or regions. The vaccinations recommended for a particular journey depend on the destination, length and purpose of travel, planned activities, accommodation, season, medical history and previous vaccination record. Hout Bay Family Medical Centre provides travel-health advice and selected travel vaccinations at our family GP practice in Hout Bay, Cape Town. Our doctors and nursing team can review your itinerary, assess your individual health risks and advise which routine or travel-specific vaccines may be appropriate. Travel advice and travel vaccines are listed among the services currently available at the practice.
Travel vaccinations are vaccines recommended or required because of the infectious-disease risks associated with international travel.
Some vaccines form part of the routine childhood or adult vaccination schedule but may need to be updated before travelling. Others are recommended only for particular destinations, activities or types of exposure.
A travel-health consultation may consider:
Travel-vaccine recommendations should be based on an individual risk assessment rather than applying the same vaccination list to every traveller.
Arrange your travel-health consultation as early as possible once your itinerary is reasonably confirmed.
Some vaccines require:
Ideally, allow at least several weeks before departure. However, travellers leaving at short notice should still arrange an assessment, as certain vaccinations, preventative medicines and practical health advice may remain beneficial.
Bring the complete itinerary, including transit stops, because vaccination and entry requirements can sometimes be affected by countries visited during a stopover rather than only the final destination.
The vaccines recommended will depend on your destination and individual risk assessment.
Travel-related vaccination may include consideration of:
Not every traveller requires every vaccine. Some destinations have no additional vaccination recommendations beyond ensuring that routine immunisations are up to date.
Vaccine availability can change, and certain travel vaccines may need to be ordered in advance or administered at an authorised travel clinic.
A travel-health consultation is also an opportunity to check whether your routine vaccinations are current.
Depending on your age and medical history, this may include reviewing protection against:
Travellers may require a booster, a missed dose or an accelerated schedule before departure. Routine vaccination needs differ according to age, health and previous vaccination history.
Bring all available vaccination records so that unnecessary repeat doses can be avoided and outstanding vaccines can be identified.
Hepatitis A is a viral infection affecting the liver. It is commonly transmitted through contaminated food or water and through close contact with an infected person.
Vaccination may be recommended for travellers visiting countries or regions where hepatitis A is more common, particularly when sanitation and food or water safety may be uncertain.
Your doctor will consider:
Food and water precautions remain important even after vaccination because vaccines cannot protect against every cause of travellers’ diarrhoea or foodborne illness.
Hepatitis B is transmitted through infected blood and certain bodily fluids.
Vaccination may be considered for travellers who:
Some patients may already have received hepatitis B vaccination during childhood or through an occupational vaccination programme. Bring your records so that the doctor can determine whether further doses are needed.
Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection generally transmitted through contaminated food or water.
Vaccination may be considered for travel to areas where typhoid is present, particularly for travellers who will:
Typhoid vaccination does not provide complete protection. Careful food, water and hand-hygiene precautions remain essential.
Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease found in parts of Africa and South America. Some countries recommend vaccination because of local transmission risk, while others require proof of vaccination as a condition of entry.
When proof is required, it is recorded on an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis. A yellow fever vaccination certificate generally becomes valid ten days after the first vaccination.
Yellow fever vaccination and official certification must be provided by an appropriately authorised vaccination centre. South Africa’s National Department of Health licenses approved yellow fever vaccination facilities.
Hout Bay Family Medical Centre should confirm whether it is currently authorised to administer yellow fever vaccination and issue the official certificate. When it is not available at the practice, patients can be referred to an accredited travel clinic.
Yellow fever vaccination is not suitable for every patient. Age, pregnancy, immune-system conditions, allergies and medical history must be considered before it is administered.
Meningococcal disease can cause meningitis and severe bloodstream infection.
Vaccination may be recommended for certain destinations, outbreaks or high-risk travel settings. Proof of a specific meningococcal vaccination may also be required for entry or participation in certain religious pilgrimages and large gatherings.
The vaccine type, required certificate and timing depend on the traveller’s destination and current entry requirements. These requirements should be checked close to the date of travel because they may change.
Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of an infected mammal, usually following a bite, scratch or contact with broken skin.
Pre-travel rabies vaccination may be considered for travellers who:
Pre-travel vaccination does not remove the need for urgent medical care after an animal bite or scratch. The wound should be washed immediately and medical advice obtained as soon as possible.
Travellers visiting or leaving certain countries may require a polio booster or proof of recent vaccination.
Recommendations depend on:
Adults who completed childhood vaccination may still require an additional dose for particular destinations. Your doctor will review current recommendations for your itinerary.
Children should have their routine vaccinations reviewed before international travel.
Depending on the destination and the child’s age, a doctor may discuss:
International travel can expose children to infections before they have reached the usual age for a routine dose. The recommendations therefore need to be based on the child’s age, destination and current vaccination history.
Parents should bring the child’s Road to Health Booklet or complete immunisation record to the consultation.
Pregnancy requires an individual travel-health assessment.
Some vaccines may be recommended when the risk of infection is significant, while others may need to be delayed or avoided. The decision depends on:
Tell the doctor if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, planning a pregnancy or think you may be pregnant.
Pregnant travellers may also need advice about mosquito-borne infections, food and water safety, access to maternity care and travel insurance.
People with chronic medical conditions may require additional preparation before travelling.
Tell the doctor if you have:
Some vaccines may be particularly important for medically vulnerable travellers, while live vaccines may not be appropriate for certain immune-system conditions.
The consultation can also be used to discuss carrying medication, prescription letters, storage requirements and access to medical care at the destination.
There is currently no routine travel vaccine used as the main malaria-prevention measure for most travellers. Malaria prevention may instead involve prescription medication and careful protection against mosquito bites.
Depending on the destination, your doctor may discuss:
The choice of malaria medication depends on the destination, resistance patterns, medical history, pregnancy status, age and other medication.
Fever during or after travel to a malaria-risk area requires prompt medical assessment. Tell the healthcare professional exactly where and when you travelled.
Vaccinations are only one part of travel-health preparation.
Depending on the destination, your doctor may also discuss:
Vaccination cannot prevent every travel-related infection or illness. Practical precautions remain necessary throughout the journey.
Bring as much information as possible about your journey, including:
A detailed itinerary helps the doctor distinguish between vaccinations that are required, recommended, optional or unnecessary.
During your travel-health consultation, the doctor or nurse may:
Some vaccine courses cannot be completed in one appointment. A follow-up schedule may therefore be arranged.
Side effects vary according to the vaccine but may include:
Most mild reactions improve within a few days.
Tell the healthcare professional about any previous serious vaccine reaction or known allergy before vaccination.
Seek emergency assistance for difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, widespread hives, collapse or another sign of a severe allergic reaction.
Keep your travel vaccination records in a secure but accessible place.
Depending on the destination, you may need to carry:
Check the official entry requirements of each destination and transit country before departure. Requirements can change and may differ from general medical recommendations.
Hout Bay Family Medical Centre provides travel-health advice and selected travel vaccinations for adults, children and families at our community-focused GP practice in Hout Bay, Cape Town.
Our doctors and nursing team can:
Patients searching for travel vaccinations in Hout Bay, a travel-health consultation, pre-travel medical advice or a family doctor offering travel vaccines in Cape Town can contact Hout Bay Family Medical Centre to arrange an appointment.
The practice is located at 19 Brighton Street, on the corner of Brighton Street and Albert Road, Hout Bay, Cape Town.
Please contact the practice before attending to confirm vaccine availability and whether a particular vaccination needs to be ordered.
Arrange prompt medical assessment if you become unwell during or after travelling, particularly if you experience:
Tell the doctor where you travelled, the dates of travel, your activities and whether you took malaria medication or received travel vaccinations.
A fever after travel to a malaria-risk area requires urgent assessment and should not be assumed to be an ordinary cold or flu.
