What vaccines are needed for a trip to Brazil?

Q: We are going on our dream trip to Brazil. I looked up requirements for entry and no vaccines are required. So, are we good to go?

A: Often, there are no vaccination requirements to enter a country. When there are, the entry requirements are there for the country’s protection, not necessarily you, the traveler. However, there are often recommended vaccinations. For instance, in certain parts of Brazil — the Amazon basin and some coastal areas — yellow fever vaccine is recommended. That is to prevent a devastating viral infection that is often fatal and has no cure or treatment other than supportive care.

Travel destinations may have very different health risks than in Tennessee. It’s important to learn what simple steps can prevent the most prevalent or threatening risks where you are going.

Especially in tropical locations, there are two broad categories of risks: eating/drinking the wrong things (ingesting contaminated food or water that can transmit disease such as typhoid fever and hepatitis A) and being eaten (or, more likely, bitten) by the wrong things, such as mosquitoes and ticks. Insect bites are the source of many tropical diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue and Zika. Often, taking some simple precautionary steps can greatly reduce your risk of becoming ill and ruining an expensive or longplanned adventure.

Returning to the planned dream trip to Brazil, in addition to yellow fever, there may be a risk of contracting malaria. While there is no widely available and effective vaccine, there are a number of effective medications to take while in-country that a physician can recommend and prescribe prior to your departure.

A great resource for learning about recommended vaccines and disease avoidance measures is the cdc.gov/travel website. That can give a great overview of threats at your destination and steps to reduce those risks. Sometimes, however, the information can be a little overwhelming. For instance, do I really need rabies vaccination for a cruise to Jamaica? An experienced, knowledgeable travel medicine clinic can be invaluable in helping you sort out and prioritize recommended and precautionary measures.