Children aged ≥2 years and adults travelling to typhoid-endemic regions are recommended to receive typhoid vaccine
Children aged ≥2 years and adults are recommended to receive typhoid vaccine if they are travelling to endemic regions:
- where food hygiene may be suboptimal and drinking water may not be properly treated
- to visit friends and relatives
Children aged ≥2 years and adults can receive 1 dose of parenteral typhoid vaccine.
Children ≥6 years of age and adults can receive 3 or 4 doses of oral typhoid vaccine. The 4th dose is an option. 4 doses may provide better protection than 3 doses.1,2
The vaccination schedule for oral typhoid vaccine consists of 1 capsule on days 1, 3 and 5 (and day 7 if following a 4-dose schedule) taken 1 hour before food.
Revaccination is recommended for those travelling for a long time or living in an endemic region. See Children and adults who have ongoing exposure to Salmonella Typhi, including those travelling for a long time or living in an endemic region, are recommended to be revaccinated.
Infants and children aged <2 years are not recommended to receive typhoid vaccine. The parenteral typhoid vaccine is poorly immunogenic in this age group.3 For this age group, early detection of cases and strict adherence to personal and food hygiene by the caregiver (as described below) are particularly important.
Advise travellers about the importance of:
- personal hygiene
- food safety
- drinking boiled or bottled water only
Advise travellers that high-risk foods and drinks include:
- raw (or undercooked) shellfish
- salads
- cold meats
- untreated water and ice (in drinks)
Short (day) trips away from higher-quality accommodation can also be high risk.
The combination hepatitis A/typhoid vaccine is an option for people ≥16 years of age who are travelling to countries where there is an increased risk of both these diseases. See also Hepatitis A.