International Travelers Need Pneumococcal and Influenza Vaccinations

Most health experts agree that preventing vaccine-preventable diseases is key to international travel in 2025.

A new analysis by Harvard Medical School researchers demonstrates that travel clinics and pharmacies have successfully contributed to administering vaccines against pneumococcus and influenza.

This study was published yesterday in Open Forum Infectious Diseases on January 8, 2025, and revealed that 19% of vaccine-eligible travelers either received a pneumococcal vaccine or were referred to another provider to receive it.

And 40% of travelers received the influenza vaccination at their pre-travel visit or were referred to another provider.

However, there were missed opportunities for vaccination.

Over a span of 10 years, 68% of eligible international travelers were not offered the pneumococcal vaccine, and 15% were not offered the flu vaccine, even if their travel destination was in the midst of a respiratory season outbreak.

These deficiencies could be related to the differences between the seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

These researchers' findings suggest that influenza vaccines are less likely to be offered to travelers during the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, even if they are available and the person is heading to a Southern destination.

Another potential barrier is a lack of insurance coverage for the administration of non-travel vaccines. To resolve this constraint, many pharmaceutical firms offer discount programs.

As of January 9, 2025, various routine and travel vaccines are offered at travel clinics and pharmacies in the United States.