Washington Occupational Health Associates

Travel & Immunization Services

Be prepared and immunized for travel abroad. Variable health conditions throughout the world require travelers to be aware of endemic risk areas. In our DC metro area clinic, we provide up-to-date recommendations, pre-travel medications, vaccinations, and health guidelines according to your travel plans. Our professional staff are experts at pre-travel evaluation and treatment of post-travel illness.

We will evaluate your itinerary and make specific recommendations including advice on what should be in your medical travel kit. We can also provide you with an International Certificate of Vaccination to keep with your passport.

Immunizations include:

Travel-related:

Medications for malaria, travelers diarrhea, and others are also available.

Appointments are available weekdays from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (Except Holidays).  Please call (202) 463-6440 to schedule an appointment.

Your vaccination questions answered.

Tdap vs. Td booster - Which should I receive?

The difference between a Td and Tdap is that Tdap protects not only against Tetanus and Diptheria, but Pertussis as well.  Adults should receive a Td booster every 10 years, while a Tdap is only administered once. The Tdap is relatively new, and was licensed by the FDA in the Spring of 2005. The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommens that adolescents and adults receive a Tdap (if they have never received it) in place of their next Td booster.  A Td booster should continue to be given every 10 years thereafter.

Is WOHA licensed to administer Yellow Fever vaccine?

Yes. In the United States, the vaccine may only be administered at CDC approved yellow fever vaccination centers; WOHA is one such location. International regulations require proof of yellow fever vaccination for travel to and from certain countries, largely in Sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America. Those who are vaccinated must be given an International Certificate of Vaccination, which we provide.

What is the differnece between Shingles and Varicella vaccine?

Zostavax®, the vaccine to prevent shingles, consists of attenuated (weakened) varicella virus at a higher concentration than that found in Varivax®, the vaccine to prevent varicella (chickenpox). Varivax® is indicated for vaccination against chickenpox in individuals 12 months of age and older. Shingles is an infection caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus remains in the nerve cells for life after chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, and it can reappear as shingles in later life. This occurs particularly in those who are older or immunocompromised. Zostavax® is reccommended for those 60 years of age and older to prevent shingles.

Should I receive both Seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines?

Yes! The flu season can last through May and the best way to prevent flu is to get both vaccines. Both the "swine flu" and regular seasonal flu are spread in the same ways. The seasonal flu vaccine consists of three different influenza strands. Experts use the most recent data to select the strains most likely to cause seasonal flu any given year. The H1N1 vaccine, on the other hand, consists of one strain; that which caused the 2009-2010 pandemic. The World Health Organization has recommended that the 2010-2011 seasonal flu vaccine contain this year's pandemic H1N1 virus. The other two recommeded strains are H3N2. Stay tuned.

What is thimerosal? Is it safe?

Thimerosal is a preservative used in vaccines since the 1930's. Preservatives are essential to help prevent potentially life threatening contamination of vaccine with harmful microbes. Concern about thimerosal stems from the fact that it is a form of mercury. Thimerosal is made of ethyl mercury, however, which is different from methyl mercury (the type found in fish) which can cause congenital problems in fetuses. There has been a large effort to reduce thimerosal in vaccines to trace levels, which are largely accepted by the scientific community to pose no harm. Some vaccines, such as Td, are also now available in formulations that are free of thimerosal. If you are concerned about thimerosal, do not hesitate to speak with our physicians.

 

 

 

 

 


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