Required or recommended?

Question 11 : Required or recommended?

What’s the difference between a required vaccine, a recommended vaccine, a booster shot and a basic vaccine?

Answer

A vaccine is “required” when the country you plan to visit is likely to demand that you show proof of immunization. For example, you can’t clear customs and immigration in certain African countries without showing a vaccination certificate against yellow fever. Without this paper, you may be refused entry to the country, required to pay a large amount of money or – worse yet – vaccinated on the spot and held in a waiting area for several days.

Recommended vaccines are ones we advise you to receive in keeping with the standards of Health Canada and the Institut national de santé publique du Québec in order to protect yourself adequately against serious diseases you may be exposed to while travelling abroad.

A booster shot is a second dose of the same vaccine administered after a given period of time.

Basic immunization includes all vaccines that are recommended for citizens under the Quebec Immunization Protocol. Our experts will provide you with a booster shot for these vaccines (tetanus, measles, polio, etc.) before you travel.