Adoption Travel Health Precautions

Recommended Vaccines: Be up to date on routine vaccines such as measles/mumps/rubella, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus, and varicella. Special emphasis on polio booster should be given when traveling to India, especially for adults who received a primary series with either inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) or oral polio vaccine (OPV). Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG) is recommended because of a high level of hepatitis A virus infection in India. Exposure can occur through food or water, even on "standard" tourist itineraries, according to the CDC. Typhoid vaccine is advised if you have never received it, especially if visiting smaller cities or rural areas.

Malaria: Risk in all areas throughout country except above 6,561 feet (2,000 m) in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Kashmir, and Sikkim. This risk area also includes Delhi and Mumbai. Your doctor will likely advise you to take either atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline, or mefloquine (primaquine in special circumstances and only after G6PD testing). Chloroquine is not an effective antimalarial drug in India and should not be taken.

Other Issues: Japanese encephalitis is of moderate concern, and a vaccine is recommended if you plan to visit rural farming areas or places where there has been a known outbreak of Japanese encephalitis.