Specialty Vaccines
Cholera Vaccine
What is it?
The cholera vaccine protects against cholera, a bacterial disease that causes severe diarrhea and dehydration.
What does it do?
The vaccine helps prevent cholera infection and its associated complications.
How does it spread?
Cholera spreads through contaminated food or water.
Signs/Symptoms:
Symptoms include severe watery diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration, which can lead to shock and death if untreated.
Highest Risk Groups:
Travelers to areas where cholera is prevalent, particularly in parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Prevention:
The cholera vaccine is given as 1 oral dose (depending on the brand), typically recommended for ages 2-64 years.
Why Vaccinate?
Cholera can cause life-threatening dehydration. Vaccination is the best way to prevent infection, particularly for travelers to endemic regions.
For more information;
Check the CDC website: Cholera Vaccines | Cholera | CDC
Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine
What is it?
The Japanese Encephalitis vaccine protects against Japanese encephalitis, a viral infection that causes inflammation of the brain.
What does it do?
The vaccine helps prevent the infection, which can lead to severe neurological complications and death.
How does it spread?
Japanese encephalitis is spread through mosquito bites, primarily in rural areas of Asia and the Pacific Islands.
Signs/Symptoms:
Symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting, confusion, and seizures. In severe cases, it can cause permanent brain damage or death.
Highest Risk Groups:
Travelers to areas where Japanese encephalitis is common, particularly in rural regions of Asia.
Prevention:
The Japanese encephalitis vaccine is given in 2 doses, starting at age 2 months or older (depending on the brand).
Why Vaccinate?
Japanese encephalitis can cause severe illness and neurological damage. Vaccination is recommended for travelers to high-risk areas.
For more information;
Check the CDC website: Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine | Japanese Encephalitis Virus | CDC
Malaria Vaccine
What is it?
The malaria vaccine protects against Plasmodium falciparum, the most common parasite that causes malaria.
What does it do?
The vaccine helps prevent malaria, which causes fever, chills, and flu-like illness and can lead to death if untreated.
How does it spread?
Malaria is transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito.
Signs/Symptoms:
Symptoms include fever, chills, sweating, headaches, and fatigue. Severe cases can cause organ failure and death.
Highest Risk Groups:
Children in regions where malaria transmission is high, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Prevention:
The malaria vaccine is given in 4 doses, typically for children aged 5-17 months in areas with high transmission.
Why Vaccinate?
Malaria can be fatal, particularly in young children. Vaccination reduces the risk of severe disease and death.
For more information;
Check the CDC website: Malaria Vaccines | Malaria | CDC
Monkeypox (Mpox) Vaccine
What is it?
The monkeypox vaccine (Jynneos) protects against monkeypox, a viral disease similar to smallpox.
What does it do?
The vaccine helps prevent monkeypox, which causes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.
How does it spread?
Monkeypox spreads through close contact with infected individuals, including sexual contact, or by exposure to contaminated surfaces or bodily fluids.
Signs/Symptoms:
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that progresses from flat lesions to fluid-filled blisters.
Highest Risk Groups:
The highest-risk groups for monkeypox include individuals with recent sexual contact, particularly those with multiple partners or a new sexually transmitted infection, as well as people attending large events or engaging in sex at commercial venues.
Prevention:
The vaccine is given in 2 doses. The second dose should be administered at least 28 days apart. It is never too late for the second dose.
Why Vaccinate?
Monkeypox can cause severe illness, including prolonged symptoms and scarring. Vaccination reduces the risk of severe disease. If you have already recovered from monkeypox, you do not need any monkeypox vaccine doses.
For more information;
Check the CDC website: Mpox Vaccination | Mpox | CDC
Rabies Vaccine
What is it?
The Rabies vaccine protects against rabies, a deadly viral infection that affects the nervous system.
What does it do?
The vaccine helps prevent rabies infection, which is typically fatal once symptoms appear.
How does it spread?
Rabies spreads through the bite or scratch of an infected animal, most commonly from dogs, bats, or raccoons.
Signs/Symptoms:
Symptoms of rabies include fever, headache, confusion, and difficulty swallowing. Once symptoms appear, the disease is nearly always fatal.
Highest Risk Groups:
Individuals at high risk of exposure, such as veterinarians, animal control workers, and travelers to areas where rabies is common.
Prevention:
Rabies vaccination can be given as a pre-exposure series (2 doses and then 1 booster) or post-exposure treatment (4 or 5 doses, depending on immune status).
Why Vaccinate?
Rabies is almost universally fatal once symptoms appear. Pre-exposure vaccination can prevent infection in high-risk individuals, while post-exposure treatment is essential after a potential exposure.
For more information;
Check the CDC website: Rabies Vaccine VIS | Vaccines & Immunizations | CDC
Typhoid Vaccine
What is it?
The Typhoid vaccine protects against typhoid fever, a bacterial illness caused by Salmonella Typhi.
What does it do?
The vaccine helps prevent typhoid fever, which causes fever, weakness, and abdominal pain, and can lead to life-threatening complications.
How does it spread?
Typhoid fever spreads through contaminated food or water, usually in areas with poor sanitation.
Signs/Symptoms:
Symptoms include sustained fever, abdominal pain, weakness, loss of appetite, and sometimes a rash.
Highest Risk Groups:
Travelers to areas where typhoid fever is endemic, such as parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Prevention:
The Typhoid vaccine comes in two forms: an oral vaccine (4 doses) and an injectable vaccine (1 dose). Vaccination is recommended for travelers to high-risk areas.
Why Vaccinate?
Typhoid fever can cause severe illness, and in some cases, death. Vaccination is the best way to prevent infection, particularly for those traveling to regions with poor sanitation.
For more information;
Check the CDC website: Typhoid Vaccine Information Statement | CDC
Yellow Fever Vaccine
What is it?
The yellow fever vaccine protects against yellow fever, a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
What does it do?
The vaccine helps prevent yellow fever, which can cause high fever, jaundice, and sometimes fatal organ failure.
How does it spread?
Yellow fever spreads through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito.
Signs/Symptoms:
Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, back pain, and yellowing of the skin (jaundice). Severe cases can lead to organ failure and death.
Highest Risk Groups:
Travelers to regions where yellow fever is endemic, including parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South America.
Prevention:
The yellow fever vaccine is a single dose given to individuals aged 9 months and older who are traveling to or living in areas at risk for yellow fever virus in Africa and South Africa.
Why Vaccinate?
Yellow fever can be fatal, and there is no specific treatment for the disease. Vaccination is the most effective prevention, particularly for travelers to endemic areas.