Vaccination Typhoid

Typhoid is found throughout the world, but it’s more likely to occur in areas where there’s poor sanitation and hygiene.

High-risk areas include:

the Indian subcontinent
Africa
south and southeast Asia
South America
Vaccination is strongly recommended if you’re going to be staying or working with local people, or if you’re going to be staying for prolonged periods in areas where sanitation and food hygiene are likely to be poor.

In the UK, most people who get typhoid fever develop it while visiting India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. It’s therefore particularly important that you’re vaccinated if you’re visiting these countries.

The vaccines work by stimulating your body to create antibodies (infection-fighting proteins) that prevent you getting ill if you become infected with the typhoid bacteria.

But neither typhoid vaccine is 100% effective, so you should always take precautions when eating food and drinking water abroad.

Whether you have been vaccinated against typhoid or not, it’s important to take basic precautions when travelling in countries where typhoid fever is present.

For example:

only drink bottled water from a bottle that was properly sealed, or water that’s been recently boiled
avoid ice cream and don’t have ice in your drinks
avoid uncooked fruit and vegetables, unless you have washed them in safe water or peeled them yourself
avoid shellfish, seafood and salads