The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 12 million people took cruises in 2007. Because approximately 4,000 passengers and crew members share the ship for an average of seven days to 14 days, the risk of contracting an infectious disease is higher than under normal conditions. If the ship stops at international ports, passengers may also be exposed to diseases specific to that location. Passengers should check with the CDC for country-specific requirements at least four to six weeks before the cruise and ask their health care providers about immunizations that they might need for the trip.
Required Immunizations
According to CDC, travelers to certain countries in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America may be refused entry if they do not present proof of a current yellow fever vaccination. Whether the government requires proof of vaccination, CDC recommends that anyone aged 9 months or older traveling to this region should be immunized against yellow fever.Travelers must be vaccinated at least 10 days before entering the country. The certificate is valid for 10 years. During the Hajj, a religious pilgrimage, the government of Saudi Arabia requires visa applicants to present proof of meningococcal immunization, according to CDC. The World Health Organization and CDC do not recommend cholera immunization for international travel but Uganda sometimes asks for a certificate of immunization, according to the Skylark Clinic. Small pox has been eradicated and vaccination is no longer required anywhere in the world.
Recommended Immunizations
Certain immunizations are needed to protect travelers who visit certain geographical locations or engage in high risk activities. The length of stay in the area is also considered. For example, although typhoid may be a risk in an area visited by the ship, travelers will not need the vaccine because it is only recommended for those staying longer than three weeks, according to Skylark Clinic. Hepatitis A, on the other hand, may be needed even for short visits to certain areas where it can be transmitted through the food or water. Other vaccines that may be required for travel to certain locations include rabies, Japanese encephalitis or hepatitis B. It is unlikely, however, that cruise passengers will be exposed to these diseases since the danger usually occurs only in rural areas or through exposure to animals or body fluids.
Routine Immunizations
The CDC recommends that cruise ship travelers have their routine immunizations, including flu, rubella, varicella, diphtheria and polio, up to date. In addition to possible exposures in certain ports of call, travelers may be exposed to unvaccinated passengers or crew members from other countries. Vaccine-preventable outbreaks of influenza, measles and chicken pox have occurred on cruise ships in the past. In addition, individuals should keep their tetanus shots up to date whether traveling or staying at home. Travelers 65 or older also need a current pneumonia vaccination, according to CDC.
