Vaccination of adults against travel-related infectious diseases, and new developments in vaccines

Abstract

The number of people travelling to tropical or subtropical countries, whether for holidays or for business, is steadily increasing. Many of these travellers are at risk of acquiring an infectious disease. Protection against certain infectious diseases is possible by vaccination. Vaccinations required or recommended for adults are reviewed here. Progress in the refinement of available vaccines, as well as the development of new vaccines, is discussed.

Hepatitis A in Western Austria — The epidemiological situation before the introduction of active immunisation

“…Kunz, personal communication). Despite the existence of passive immunisation a constantly high percentage of hepatitis A cases in developed countries is seen in travellers [10]. For the next years the availability of active immunisation [11,12] hopefully will reduce the incidence in this group.…”

“…Nowadays in some European countries up to 95% of individuals younger than 30 years are seronegative for HAV [7][8][9]. In this epidemiological setting hepatitis A is imported to a high percentage [10] from countries where HAV is still endemic. Two new developments may influence this current situation.…”

Backpackers’ Tourism and Health: A Narrative Literature Review

“…However, other studies show that backpackers are attentive to their health and fully aware of the risks [29] or do not perceive themselves as an at-risk group [30]. The same contradictory opinions can be found on the subject of vaccinations prior to travel [31]. It would appear that backpackers' behaviour toward health issues is a multidimensional phenomenon, and the perception of risk during a backpacking experience varies depending on the individual's characteristics, such as age, gender, and past experiences [32].…”