Required Vaccinations
The International Health Regulations require that the yellow fever vaccine be administered for anyone traveling to tropical areas in South America or certain nations of Africa. The Meningococcal vaccination is required by the Saudi Arabia government for anyone traveling to Saudi Arabia during the Hajj, or the Pilgrimage to Mecca.
The CDC recommends that if you are traveling internationally, you set up an appointment either with your primary doctor or a travel doctor at least four to six weeks prior to your departure date. This is because many vaccinations take time to become effective and some may need to be administered as a series of shots, rather than just a single dose.
In cases where your business trip is more spur of the moment – and not scheduled four to six weeks in advance - you can still benefit from seeing your doctor and receiving preventive medications and/or information on international illnesses.
If you know that your job will involve international travel at some point, it is wise to get vaccinations ahead of time, even before a trip is scheduled. This is particularly true for Hepatitis A and B as these two vaccinations are recommended for travel to a variety of places and involve a series of shots administered over six months.
No one really cares for shots, save the occasional masochist, but they keep you healthy and allow you to focus on making a sale or landing a deal instead of blowing your nose or breaking your fever. Getting a shot in the arm can help make your business trip successful by keeping you healthy and allowing you to concentrate on the business at hand.
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