[Vaccinations for travelers--a review of current recommendations]

The number of travelers abroad rises every year. Concurrently, the age and health conditions of the travelers are becoming increasingly varied as are their destinations and the degree of risk involved. In the face of this complexity, it is recommended that travelers seek medical advice at specializing travel medicine clinics before leaving for their trip. The object of the consultation is to fit the general guidelines regarding preventative behavior and vaccinations to the specific traveler. Several sources of information are available for receiving updated vaccination recommendations for travelers. Usually these sources provide similar recommendations but occasionally different instructions can be found. In this review, the authors discuss vaccination recommendations for travelers while pointing out the similarities and differences among the various information sources. The different recommendations for travelers groups and types are noted. The available vaccinations are reviewed, detailing the indications and contraindications as well as side effects.