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Protect Children Against Travel-Associated Infections 

Protect Children Against Travel-Associated Infections 

This blog post was written alongside Dr. Mayssa Abuali, who has served the Philadelphia pediatric community for the past 10 years. 

There are several measles outbreaks internationally and 58 measles cases have been reported across 17 jurisdictions the United States in 2024. 93% of US cases were linked to international travel. Most cases occurred among unvaccinated individuals.  

As the summer season and international travel near, pediatric healthcare providers should ensure children are current on routine immunizations, including MMR and other vaccines that protect against travel-associated infections. 

Prior to international travel, CDC recommends: 

  • Infants 6 months of age or older receive their first MMR vaccine at least two weeks prior to departure. 
  • Children aged 12 months and older should receive their second dose prior to travel, and at least 28 days after the first dose.
  • At this time, the CDC does not recommend early doses of MMR for domestic U.S. travel.

In addition to measles vaccination, providers should also offer:  

  • Early hepatitis A vaccine to infants of 6 months of age or older traveling to endemic areas. 
  • Early meningitis vaccine to travelers heading to Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca or to the meningitis belt in sub-saharan Africa. The available conjugate ACWY vaccines include:  
    • MenQuadfi is approved for use in individuals 2 years of age and older. 
    • Menveo is approved for use in individuals ages 2 months and older.  
  • Typhoid vaccine if traveling to an endemic area (i.e., Africa, Latin America, Asia). Typhoid vaccines are only available at travel clinics. There are two typhoid vaccines licensed in the U.S.:
    • Vi capsular polysaccharide vaccine (ViCPS) for intramuscular use approved for 2 years and older. 
    • Live attenuated vaccine (Vivotif) for oral use approved for 6 years and older.

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