| Get your shots. The series of immunizations is not the daunting task you may think it is. If you’re traveling to Western Europe, Australia or Canada, you probably won't need immunizations. But for everywhere else, get them.  Many health insurance programs and HMOs usually provide them to their members free of charge. Be sure to get the "International Certificate of Vaccination" (yellow card) which lists all of your vaccinations and the date you received them. This can be a necessity if you're going into regions of Africa or South America where Yellow Fever is still a problem, and (though unlikely) some countries may want to see your yellow card before they will allow you to enter. If you don't have a health plan, you can call your county or local government health department for information or consult your telephone directory or web search engine. For more information on travel vaccinations, the (US) Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has a pretty thorough website located at.
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List of Most Common Vaccinations
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The Great Malaria Debate
Most medical professionals agree that the best way to avoid getting diseases like Malaria, which are transmitted by mosquitoes, is to avoid being bitten. (This mode of thinking can be compared to abstinence. It works in theory, but...) Wear as much clothing (long sleeves, pants and socks) as you can. (Please see the Mosquito Protection section of QDG.) On exposed skin, use DEET (Diethylmethylbenzamide). Even just a 15% solution is very effective, but can irritate skin if used too often or improperly. The DEET-less citronella repellents can also be effective. When you sleep, use a mosquito net and/or burn a mosquito coil. Having a fan blowing directly on you also helps a great deal.
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