Australians love to travel. While many diseases have been controlled or eliminated in Australia, some countries we choose to visit can pose a threat to our health.
A vaccine is a dead or weakened version of a virus or bacteria that is introduced into the body. It prepares your immune system to fight and overcome the disease if you become infected with it in the future.
Most Australian travellers will need to be vaccinated, particularly the young, the elderly, pregnant women and those with chronic health conditions. The types of vaccines you need will depend on the overseas destinations you are planning to visit.
While Medicare covers the consultation fees for your vaccination, it does not cover the vaccines themselves other than those for non-travel-related purposes (eg, influenza shots).
If you travel frequently, you may want to look into private health insurance that includes cover for travel vaccinations as part of your extras cover. Or check if you have it already in your current policy. For example, ahm Super Extras covers up to $60 for each item above the general patient PBS amount.
Vaccination costs vary depending on the type of vaccine and the administrator. Single vaccines can range from $45 to $85 each, with new vaccines costing more. You may need follow-up doses, which is why it is important to get your vaccinations at least six to eight weeks before you plan to travel.
The types of vaccines you need depends on a number of factors:
The diseases you are most likely to encounter when travelling in developing countries or tropical regions include:
Because local destinations in South East Asia and the South Pacific cost less for Australians to visit, countries where we require vaccinations can include:
Even though the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approves all vaccines used in Australia, there is always a small possibility of side effects occurring in some travellers for whom vaccines may not be appropriate.
These can include people with weakened immune systems due to infection, those taking medicines to suppress their immune system and people who are allergic to particular types of vaccines or any of their ingredients.
Generally, any side effects experienced from vaccination are very minor and short-lived. Symptoms may include mild fever, tenderness at the site of an injection, headache, nausea, tiredness and muscle or joint pain.
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