Vaccines and travelling abroad with children
Taking a child abroad is a good moment to make sure their routine vaccinations are complete, and sometimes to add extra protection for the destination.
Start with the routine schedule
The single most important travel precaution for a child is being up to date on MMR. Measles is common in many popular destinations, including parts of Europe, and outbreaks are frequently seeded by returning travellers. If your child is behind, a clinic can often bring the MMR doses forward - the first dose can be given from 6 months for travel (though it is then repeated on the normal schedule).
Destination-specific vaccines
Depending on where you are going and what you will be doing, a travel clinic may recommend hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, or yellow fever. Yellow fever is a special case: some countries legally require a certificate to enter, and it must be given at least 10 days before travel at an approved centre.
How far ahead to plan
See a travel clinic or GP six to eight weeks before departure. Some vaccines are a course over several weeks; some cannot be given too close together; and stock is not always immediate. Last-minute appointments are still worthwhile - even one dose gives some protection.
Bring the record
Travel with a copy of your child's vaccination record, especially if visiting family for an extended stay or if there is any chance of needing medical care abroad. If you are relocating rather than holidaying, the record is essential for enrolling in school and registering with a doctor in the new country.
After you get back
If your child received any vaccines abroad, add them to their home record so the routine schedule is adjusted correctly and doses are not repeated unnecessarily.