How to Make Sure a Baby Is Properly Immunized for Overseas Travel

Talk to your pediatrician before you make plans to leave the country. Your baby will require general and specific immunizations, some with reduced dosage levels.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Vaccinate your baby against hepatitis B within the first two months. If you're positive for hepatitis B, get your baby an injection of immune globulin within a week, or even within 12 hours, if possible.
2. Vaccinate your infant against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (DPT); haemophilus type B influenza (Hib); and polio (IPV) at two months and then again at four months of age. At six months, your baby will get vaccinated again for everything but polio.
3. Have your baby vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella at 12 to 15 months of age. If your pediatrician recommends it, vaccinate against chicken pox as well.
4. Vaccinate very young children against typhoid. This will require two injections, one month apart.
5. Avoid vaccinating babies for yellow fever until they are nine months old.
6. Administer the same antimalarial drugs that adults take, but reduce the dosage according to the baby's weight, discuss dosage with your pediatrician.

Tips & Warnings

• For more information about vaccination, call the National Vaccine Information Center at (800) 909-SHOT.
• If you have any questions or concerns, contact a physician or other health care professional before engaging in any activity related to health and diet. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.