Vaccines in Travel Health: From Risk Assessment to Priorities

Immunizations prior to travel contribute to reduc- ing the risk of specific diseases for the traveler as well as the risk of international spread of diseases. Environ- mental and host factors determine the risk of acquiring a disease while traveling. Most relevant in the first group of factors are the location to be visited,1,2 duration of travel, and reason for travel. Among host factors, the health of the traveler and his or her expected behavior abroad need to be considered. Consequently, an epi- demiologic, host-related, and legal requirement-based assessment of the planned trip should be conducted when considering which immunizations are appropri- ate for a traveler. Current Epidemiologic Threat of Vaccine-Preventable Infections