Vaccination and travel advice
Are you going on a trip to a foreign country soon and you don't know exactly which vaccinations are mandatory?
The Center for Serums and Vaccines (Institut Pasteur of Morocco), in its center for international vaccinations and, welcomes you without appointment from Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 15:30, to be vaccinated in the best conditions, and to give you the health advice you will need for your travels.
The Serum and Vaccine Center (Institut Pasteur of Morocco) is a WHO-approved Center for vaccination against :
- Yellow fever : this vaccine is mandatory for travelers to the intertropical regions of Africa and South America such as Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Panama, Guyana, Peru or Brazil. It can be administered from the age of 6 months and offers protection for at least 10 years. It takes a minimum of 10 days from the first vaccination to departure.
WHY GET VACCINATED?
When you go to an exotic destination or to an unknown country, you immediately think of the wonder that awaits you by discovering beautiful landscapes, a new culture, an extraordinary gastronomy or a warm and fascinating population. However, we must not forget that the regions you are going to visit can be the focus of infectious diseases or even epidemics. Indeed, during your stay in a foreign land, you risk being bitten by insects, such as mosquitoes, drinking soiled water or swallowing poorly washed food.
Fortunately, vaccination protects you from a large number of infections and allows you not to get sick, both during your stay and when you return.
RECOMMENDED OR MANDATORY VACCINES
Vaccinations are required for entry into certain countries, such as, for example, the yellow fever vaccine for a trip to an intertropical zone in Africa or South America, or the meningococcal meningitis vaccine for pilgrims traveling to Mecca.
Unlike so-called universal vaccines, specific vaccines are administered to travelers who leave for a specific destination. This is mainly the vaccine against :
- Yellow fever : this vaccine is mandatory for travelers to the intertropical regions of Africa and South America such as Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Panama, Guyana, Peru or Brazil. It can be administered from the age of 6 months and offers protection for at least 10 years. It takes a minimum of 10 days from the first vaccination to departure.
- Malaria : even if there is no specific vaccine against this disease that plagues the tropics and subtropics of Africa and South America, it is recommended to consult a doctor before your departure for these destinations because he can prescribe preventive treatment and advise you on the repellents to take against mosquitoes.
- The rage : for people who are going to stay in an isolated geographical area of Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, North or South America. It is necessary to do 3 injections: the first, 28 days before your departure (D-28), the second 7 days (D-7) and the third the same day or the day before (D-0). In case of a bite from a suspicious animal, you will need to receive 2 injections spaced 3 days apart. Otherwise, the recall is done after 1 year and then every 5 years. This vaccine is administered as soon as the child is old enough to walk.
- japanese encephalitis : recommended for those who stay during the heavy rainy season or who are expatriating in Southeast Asia, South Asia, northern Australia, China, Japan, India and Papua New Guinea. The vaccine can be administered from the age of 1 year with a booster every 2 years. The injection must be done no later than 10 days before departure.
- hepatitis A : this vaccine is intended for travelers to Central and South America, Asia, Oceania and Africa. The injection can be done just before departure, it offers protection for 10 years and is administered from the age of 1 year
- hepatitis B : recommended vaccine for those who have a prolonged and frequent stay in high-risk countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and also in North and South America. There is no minimum age to benefit from the 2 injections which are carried out 1 month apart. The recall is done 6 months later, offering protection for 5 years.
- invasive meningococcal infections : this concerns people who travel in the Sahelian zone in Africa and those who make a pilgrimage to Mecca where it is mandatory. It can be administered from the age of 2, ideally a few weeks before departure because its incubation time is 10 days.
- tick-borne encephalitis : vaccine intended for individuals who stay in forest or rural areas in northern China, northern Central Asia, northern Japan, northern, central and eastern Europe. It is carried out in 3 injections which must be spread out before departure: the first, 3 months before (D-90), the second 1 month before (D-30) and the last in the days preceding departure. The booster is done between the 5th and the 12th month after the first injection.
- seasonal flu : this vaccine is particularly recommended for high-risk travelers such as the elderly or those who suffer from chronic diseases and who travel during the flu season. It is administered at least 15 days before departure with a single injection.
THE VACCINATION CERTIFICATE
When you arrive in certain African countries such as Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Rwanda or Angola, the authorities may require the presentation of a vaccination certificate. In all, 20 African countries condition the entry on their soil to the production of this document. This is given to you when you are vaccinated against yellow fever, which is the only vaccine required by international health regulations. This certificate is valid for a period of 10 years.