Travel vaccinations: the essentials
Each traveler must be up-to-date with their vaccinations. French vaccination schedule.
We must distinguish thevaccine obligation, which is an administrative constraint, of the vaccination recommendationwhich is based on a medical indication and can be just as an essential.
Travel vaccination recommendations are based on a personalized assessment carried out during a medical consultation before departure.
In France, health recommendations for travellers are updated annually by the High Council of Public Health and constitute a reference document.
French vaccination schedule
Before any trip and at any age, Each traveler must be up-to-date with their vaccinations according to the French vaccination schedule.because the diseases in question are present all over the world, with an increased risk depending on the health situation in certain countries.
Each trip is therefore an opportunity to check and update his vaccination recordThis calendar is revised annually and can be consulted on the Ministry of Health website.
Vaccination: obligation versus recommendation
There is an important concept to know: The difference between mandatory and recommended vaccination.
The vaccine obligation is only a constraint administrative (obtaining a visa, going through the airport, …) and does not necessarily relate to medical risk.
La vaccination recommendation is medical : it aims to protect the person from the disease in question.
Therefore, a requirement is not necessarily "more important" than a recommendation. Conversely, it is a mistake to think that a recommended vaccine is unnecessary simply because it is not mandatory. They can be recommended… and absolutely essential.
For example, vaccination guidelines against yellow fever differ from country to country. It may be recommended but not mandatory, mandatory but not recommended, or mandatory and recommended!
These rules, specific to each state, are enshrined in the International Health Regulations (IHR)adopted by the 22ndrd World Health Assembly in 1969 (regularly amended). Its objective is toprevent the international spread of diseases and is not aimed at the individual protection of the traveler.
Travel vaccinations: advice and recommendations
Travel vaccination advice and recommendations are based on a set of criteria assessed by a healthcare professional during a medical consultation, which is necessary before each trip abroad.
This is not a "simple list" to follow for each country, but rather a " à la carte program "depending on the traveler and the trip itself."
During the consultation, the doctor (or the specialized nurse) assesses the risks, and especially infectious, depending on several criteria:
- The traveler himself (age, sex, medical history, treatments, allergies, pregnancy, etc.)
- The health situation of the country visited
- The epidemiological situation in the country visited
- The season during the dates of stay
- Details of the stay: purpose (tourism, family, professional, humanitarian), duration, conditions (accommodation, transport)
- The planned activities
To help you prepare for your trip, the Pasteur Institute of Lille provides you with the platform Metis thanks to a interactive mapIt informs you at a glance about the Health risks specific to each destination and appropriate prevention recommendations.
The decision criteria There are also multiple ways to vaccinate:
- The expected risk of infection
- The traveler's vaccination status
- The risk of severe illness for the traveler
- Possible side effects of the vaccine
- The time frame relative to the departure
- Administrative constraints (e.g., RSI, Saudi Arabia)
- Financial constraints (vaccine costs)
The advice given during the medical consultation is therefore Custom and tailored to each traveler and each trip.
The reference document used in France is the Health Recommendations for Travelerspublished annually by the High Council for Public Health.
Travel vaccines currently available
The currently available travel vaccines are those against: the yellow fever hepatitis A Hepatitis B, the typhoid fever, the ACWY meningitis, the rage Japanese encephalitis tick-borne encephalitis, the dengue, chikungunya, the leptospirosis and the cholera.
FAQ
It is advisable to consult a healthcare professional 4 to 6 weeks before the trip.
Vaccines from the French vaccination schedule can be administered by a doctor, pharmacist, nurse or midwife.
Travel vaccinations must be administered by a doctor or at a international vaccination center, authorized for mandatory or recommended vaccinations for travel abroad, like that of the Pasteur Institute of Lille.
Vaccines on the French vaccination schedule are covered by Social Security. However, medical consultations and travel-related vaccinations are not. not covered by Social Security.
Some mutual insurance companies take care of pharmacy feesincluding expenses related to vaccination.
Do not hesitate to consult our price list and to check with your health insurance provider.
Yes, vaccination recommendations vary depending on the country, the duration and the conditions of the stay.
To prepare for your trip, you can consult the platform Metis thanks to a interactive mapIt informs you at a glance about the Health risks specific to each destination and appropriate prevention recommendations.
Le international vaccination certificate is delivered in the International vaccination centers like the one from the Pasteur Institute in Lille. It gathers all the information about your vaccinations and serves as proof that you are up to date.
It may be required for entry into certain countries. For example, the international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory for travel to certain countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
