Vaccinations For Africa Travel

Is Africa on your travel list? If not, it should be. Africa is a continent rich in history, elegance, charm, creativity, diversity, and splendor. There is a uniqueness to Africa that is unmatched. However, before you hop on that plane, you need to make sure you have the necessary vaccinations for Africa travel.

Travel Vaccinations For Africa?

There are vaccinations needed when traveling to Africa, and you must find out what they are before you get on the plane. There is no “Africa vaccine” as Africa is made up of over 50 countries, and each country has different vaccination requirements. It is your responsibility to see what it is you need for the country you want to visit.

 If you haven’t gotten your vaccinations, no one is going to stop you from buying your ticket, booking your hotel, and making all of your arrangements. However, when you get to the country you want to visit, you will NOT be allowed in the country if you don’t meet the medical requirements. All of the money, time, and effort you put into getting to the country will have been for nothing. So make sure you do your due diligence BEFORE you head to the airport.

Travel Vaccinations for Ghana

The three vaccines in the picture above are the three I had to get for my trip to Ghana:

1. Yellow Fever
2. Hepatitis A
3. Meningococcal

My mother traveled with me and she had to get different vaccines, so make sure each traveler checks what their specific needs are. Entrance into Ghana requires the Yellow Fever vaccine. However, there were several recommended shots and pills to take and since I have a tendency to get ill (like I did when I was in Russia) I thought it was best to get everything I possibly could. I also made sure to have my Medical Sheet that has all of my pertinent health info in case I get sick and can’t speak for myself. You purchase and download it, fill it out and keep it for all of your trips.

My insurance covered my vaccinations so I went to the clinic and was able to get everything I needed without charge. Call your insurance provider for your coverage information. If not, there are plenty of offices that handle vaccinations, or you can always call the health department in your area. You will get one of these little yellow books once you get your vaccination. Why not get one of my passport covers and put your book inside of it? 

 

Here is another tip-carry a water bottle with you, so you can have fresh, cold water as you explore the city. With this Life Straw water bottle, you can ensure you have bacteria free water. 

Vaccinations for Africa Travel – My Experience

My reaction to my vaccinations for Ghana:

Day 1: My arm was a bit itchy and my throat was sore. I sounded like a family of frogs had moved into my larynx.

Day 2: Kermit invited his whole family to live with him in my throat. I stayed home all day and tried not to speak to anyone as the froggy voice was scary.

Day 3 I had to go to work. That’s always fun when you don’t feel well. My throat and ears were still sore but not as much. My arm was so sore I couldn’t sleep on my side the night before, which is great when you work at an airport and have to handle luggage. Good times. I took two hot baths with Epson salt.  Thankfully I was able to leave work early.

Day 4 No sore throat or ears but my neck was sore when I went to sleep, and I woke up with a sore neck. I took Tylenol and by the end of the day, my neck was much better. I took another bath with Epson salts.

Day 5  Almost as good as new! I still had a bit of a stiff neck but my sore throat was gone.

I’m telling you all of this so you can be aware that you may have side effects when you get your travel vaccinations. Oh, by the way, my mother didn’t have ANY effects. None. She said my bad reaction was due to the bad genes I got from my dad’s side of the family (insert her laugh here).

 

 

Have you ever had a bad reaction to a vaccination?