Vaccines For China – What Is Required

If you are planning to travel soon and wondering what vaccines are required for China, we put together this guide for you to read. Make sure to go over it carefully so you fully understand what vaccines for China you may need.
There are no particular vaccination requirements for people visiting China unless you come from a county with a high risk of yellow fever. However, one should visit a licensed medical practitioner to advise on what shots to get. There will be those a person may have gotten as a child, but there are others one can take as preventative measures before the trip. That should be six weeks to a month before the trip.
You should not have them too soon before the journey or even have a cocktail of them because falling ill is very likely when visiting a new country and will not enjoy the trip. While one is encouraged to be cautious, it is improper to overload the body with vaccines for the sake of being safe. Therefore, you should opt to only go for what the doctor suggests and what is actually needed for the part of China you are traveling to.
There are basics that a person ought to have before traveling to China. Vaccines required for China in order to fully protect yourself, include getting a polio vaccination, an MMR (Measles-mumps-rubella) vaccination, tetanus vaccination, chickenpox vaccination, yellow fever vaccination and getting your annual flu shot. WHO recommends Hepatitis A, typhoid and tetanus shots as these come from contaminated foods. It is highly recommended in rural areas or for someone from an area where food contamination is prevalent.
Routine Vaccines For China
MMR Measles-mumps-rubella | Recommended |
Tdap (Tetanus, Dephtheria & Pertussis) | Recommended |
Varicella (chickenpox) | Recommended |
Yearly flu shot | Recommended |
Recommended Vaccines For China
Hepatitis A | Recommended | Risk obtaining when eating contaminated food or drinking water in China |
Hepatitis B | Recommended | Spread through body fluids mostly caused during sexual activity |
Typhoid | Recommended | Spread through contaminated food or drinking water in China |
Recommended Only For Some Travelers
Japanese Encephalitis | Recommended for some | High risk if visiting rural areas in China |
Polio | Recommended for some | At risk If working in healthcare in the Xinjiang region |
Rabies | Recommended for some | At risk if will be around animals a lot in China |
Malaria | Recommended for some | At risk of mosquito bites while outdoors in China |
Yellow Fever | Required for some | Must have if coming from a country with a high risk of yellow fever |
If one intends to engage in sexual acts, get a piercing or a tattoo while in China they should get a Hepatitis B shot too. For those going for treks and hikes especially in secluded areas, they might want to get a rabies shot, but that is mostly for those who will be working with animals. However, for those who will primarily be in the city or in areas of no risk, then getting the shot is unnecessary.
When outdoors, one will quickly also notice that China does have a mosquito problem in some areas. Apart from repellent, a malaria shot would prevent a person from getting the disease. Equally, get the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) if traveling to rural China because it is endemic to the area. Two shots get taken 28 days apart, therefore, plan accordingly.
Overall, most do not need any vaccinations to visit China. It is however, better to be safe than sorry and get those a licensed medical practitioner or doctor recommends. Hopefully you now have a better understanding of what immunizations are needed for travel to China. Similar questions can be directed to the travel agency used to book the trip. Remember to carry documentation showing the shots received should there be a medical emergency while visiting China.
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