Abstract
Vaccination is an integral part of the consultation before traveling abroad. In childhood, the importance of pre-departure vaccination is greater than that of adults, as children are increasingly at risk of infectious and non-infectious complications when they are traveling.
The choice of the recommended vaccination depends mainly on the risks in the destination, on the child's age and health. It is necessary to verify mandatory vaccination and to complete the missing basic vaccination.
The next step is to recommend appropriate "optional" vaccinations that are commonly included in the Czech vaccination calendar, such as vaccination against pneumococcal and rotavirus infections or varicella. Depending on the specific risks at the destination, "travel" vaccinations are also indicated; the most commonly used vaccines are hepatitis A, rabies, meningococcal infections and others.
The age of the child should always be taken into account as some vaccines are contraindicated for young children (yellow fever) or ineffective (typhoid polysaccharide vaccine). Where a child cannot be protected by active immunization, for example because of their early age, passive immunoprophylaxis may be given in some situations associated with a high risk of infection (measles, hepatitis A).