Travel Healthy

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Stay safe and healthy when you travel.

Which immunizations do I need to go to another country?

Each country has different immunization requirements to enter the country. Make sure you’re up-to-date on the immunizations you need for your trip.
Immunizations you need

Where can I find a travel clinic?

Travel clinics are your go-to resource for everything travel related. Utah’s travel clinics can help with everything from immunizations to a list of what to pack for your trip.

Find a travel clinic near you

How do I stay safe when I travel?

Stay alert and aware of your surroundings. Use the same common sense when you travel that you would at home.

Travel advisories
Smart traveler enrollment
Travel notices
Sick woman with a tissue

What if I get sick after I travel?

You may get sick during travel but not have symptoms until you get home. Talk to a doctor or healthcare provider if you feel sick after you travel—especially if you have a fever.
Learn more about what to do after you travel

Can I drink the water in another country?

Food and water that isn’t clean can cause diarrhea and other diseases. Stick to safe food and water habits to reduce your risk.
Learn more about what to eat and drink when you travel

How do I get medical care when I travel?

It’s important to know how to get medical care if you get sick or have an emergency when you travel.
Learn more about how to get medical care when you travel

Is it safe to touch animals in another country?

No. Most animals avoid people. But, animals may attack if they are hurt, sick, feel threatened, or when they feel they need to protect their territory or babies. Animal bites and scratches can lead to serious diseases such as rabies.
Use these tips to protect yourself

How do I protect myself from diseases for which I can’t get immunized?

Take steps during travel to stay safe and healthy and avoid experiences that might ruin your trip.

Learn more about how to stay safe and healthy during your trip

Is it safe to go to another country for a medical procedure?

Millions of U.S. residents travel to another country for medical care each year. But this can be risky. Make sure you understand the risks before you schedule a medical procedure outside the U.S.
Learn about the risks
Senior meeting with medical professional

Should I buy travel or medical evacuation insurance?

You may want to get travel insurance to cover yourself in case delays, accidents, or illness occur on your trip.

Your health insurance may not cover medical care in another country. Some types of travel insurance help you cover costs if your travel is canceled or disrupted.

Learn more about travel insurance

How long does it take to get a passport?

It usually takes between 10 and 13 weeks to get a passport. You can pay extra to get it in 7 to 9 weeks.

Get a passport

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Which immunizations do I need to go to another country?

Each country has different immunization requirements to enter the country. Make sure you’re up-to-date on the immunizations you need for your trip.

Why should I get immunized before I leave the U.S.?

It takes about 10 days for most immunizations to start to work and build  immunity to disease. And you’ll need more than a shot to protect you from many diseases. This means it may take 6 months or more to protect you from some diseases. Find out which vaccines you’ll need as soon as you know your travel plans. Immunity to disease may be the most important thing you bring with you!

Find out which immunizations you need before you travel

Do I need a booster for immunizations I’ve already had?

You need a booster dose later in life for some of the immunizations you got as a child to stay protected.
Find out if you’re up-to-date on immunizations
Arm with a band aid with a booster heart sticker

Medical Waiver

There are certain medical conditions which may prevent a person from receiving a yellow fever vaccination. This will be discussed during your travel consultation.

Travel Vaccines

Vaccine needs vary considerably from country to country, but the best place to start is with the recommended vaccine schedules for children and adults. In Utah, some vaccinations are required for school entry. However, most of the vaccines that are routinely administered in childhood require periodic booster doses throughout life to maintain an effective level of immunity. Adults often neglect to keep up the recommended schedule of booster vaccinations, particularly if the risk of infection is low. Additionally, some adults have never been vaccinated at all. It is important to realize that diseases such as diphtheria and poliomyelitis, which no longer occur in most industrialized countries, many be present in those visited by travelers. Pretravel precautions should include booster doses of routine vaccines if the regular schedule has not been followed, or a full course of primary immunization for people
who have never been vaccinated.

Additional vaccines are advised on the basis of a travel risk assessment for the individual traveler. In deciding which vaccines are appropriate, the following factors should be considered for each vaccine:

  • risk of exposure to the disease
  • age, health status, vaccination history
  • special risk factors
  • reactions to previous vaccine doses, allergies
  • risk of infecting others
  • cost

For more information, visit the following links:


Travel Vaccines

Utah Travel Clinics

Missionary Vaccine Recommendations

Yellow Fever Vaccination

Travel Vaccines Resources

Childhood Immunization Recommendations

Adults Immunization Recommendations

Mandatory vaccination, as authorized by the International Health Regulations, now concerns only yellow fever. Yellow fever vaccination is given for two different reasons:

(1) to protect the individual in areas where there is a risk of yellow fever infection, and
(2) to protect vulnerable countries from importation of the yellow fever virus.

Travelers should therefore be vaccinated if they visit a country where there is a risk of exposure to yellow fever. They must be vaccinated if they visit a country that requires yellow fever vaccination as a condition of entry. This condition applies to all travelers who arrive from (including airport transit) a yellow fever endemic country.

Travelers should be provided with a written record of all vaccines administered (patient-retained record), preferably using the international vaccination certificate (required in the case of yellow fever vaccination).

To find out which vaccines are needed for the region you will be visiting, you may go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travelers’ Health website. You will find a wealth of travel information at this site: food and water recommendations, disease outbreak areas, recommended precautions and much more. It’s a great place to start, when planning a trip.

Category Vaccine

Routine Vaccination

 Diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (DTaP)
or tetanus/diphtheria for age 7+ (Td)
Hepatitis B (HBV)
Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB)
Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)
Poliomyelitis (IPV)

Selective vaccination determined by destination and risk factors

 Cholera
Influenza
Hepatitis A (HAV)
Japanese encephalitis
Malaria (pills)
Meningococcal meningitis
Pneumococcal disease
Rabies
Tick-borne encephalitis
Tuberculosis (BCG)
Typhoid fever
Yellow fever (for individual protection)

Mandatory Vaccinations

 Yellow fever (for protection of vulnerable countries)
Meningococcal meningitis (for Hajj, Umra)

You may also call the Utah Immunization Program Hotline at 1-800-275-0659 for additional questions or information.

If you are planning on traveling out of the country, make sure your immunization needs are assessed and your vaccinations completed in plenty of time to assure immunity. Most vaccines build immunity in approximately one week to ten days. However, immunizing against some diseases requires multiple vaccinations and may take six months or more to complete. Be sure to find out which vaccines you will need as soon as you know your travel plans. Remember that vaccine immunity may be the most important thing you bring with you!

Prescription icon

Did you know some over-the-counter and prescription medicine may be illegal in other countries?

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Travel clinics make it easier to plan your trip.

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Did you know motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of healthy U.S. citizens in foreign countries?