Vaccines (Vaccinations) for Those Studying or Traveling in "Central America and South America"
Target Regions
Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Mexico, etc.
Many countries in Central and South America carry a risk of yellow fever, and depending on the countries you transit through, yellow fever vaccination may be mandatory.
Yellow fever vaccination requirements differ by country and may change even between neighboring countries and regions, so check the latest information before you travel.
Vaccines for hepatitis A, hepatitis B and typhoid are also recommended, and particular care is needed in areas where sanitation is not adequate.
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Recommended Vaccines
| Vaccine | Level of recommendation | Vaccines available | Number of doses | Price (all tax included) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yellow fever | ◎ applicable regions | Vaccination is available only at quarantine stations, etc. We cannot provide it at our clinic. |
||
| measles | ◎ | MMR (Priorix or MMRⅡ) | 1 to 2 doses | 10,000 yen |
| rubella | ||||
| tetanus※1 | ◎ | tetanus toxoid | 1 or 3 doses★ | 4,000 yen |
| typhoid | ◎ | Typbar TCV | 1 dose | 10,000 yen |
| hepatitis A※2 | ◎ | Aimmugen | 3 doses | 16,500 yen |
| Havisure | 2 doses | 13,000 yen | ||
| hepatitis B※2 | 〇 recommended for long-term stays | Bimmugen | 3 doses | 7,000 yen |
| rabies | 〇 recommended if you will be in contact with animals | ChiroRab | 3 doses | 13,000 yen |
| influenza | 〇 recommended during the epidemic season | influenza HA vaccine | 1 dose as a rule | 4,000 yen |
| malaria | △ recommended for rural areas where cases occur | Malarone | Start taking it 1 to 2 days before travel Take 1 tablet once a day Continue for 1 week after returning home | 750 yen/tablet |
| Mephaquin | Start taking it 1 to 2 weeks before travel Take 1 tablet once a week Continue for 4 weeks after returning home, then finish | 1,100 yen/tablet | ||
★ 1 dose if the primary series was completed in childhood
※1 We also carry Tdap (tetanus, pertussis and diphtheria) at 9,000 yen (tax included) and DPT-IPV (tetanus, pertussis, diphtheria and polio) at 12,000 yen (tax included).
※2 We also carry a hepatitis A and hepatitis B combination vaccine (Twinrix) at 13,000 yen (tax included).
Diseases to watch out for at your destination are explained in detail on the page below.
Precautions During Your Stay
Preparing for Altitude Sickness
In the Andean regions of South America there is a risk of altitude sickness, so when staying in high-altitude areas it is recommended that you acclimatize to the altitude gradually and keep well hydrated.
Preventing Infections from Food and Drink
The risk of parasitic infection is also high, so care is needed with drinking untreated water and eating raw vegetables.
Also avoid drinks with ice in them.
Cut fruit and salads may have been washed in tap water, so peel fruit yourself before eating it.
For hepatitis A and typhoid, which are transmitted through food and water, being vaccinated in advance can lower the risk of infection.
Chagas Disease and Insect Repellent Measures
Chagas disease can be transmitted by triatomine bugs (insects that resemble stink bugs).
Choose your accommodation carefully and take measures to repel insects.
Beware of Mosquito-Borne Infections
There is a risk of mosquito-borne dengue fever, Zika fever and chikungunya fever, but the dengue fever vaccine is not yet in general use.
It is important to be thorough with mosquito-bite prevention.
Risk of Contact with Wild Animals, Including Rabies
There are many stray and free-roaming dogs, and rabies has been reported.
Avoid approaching stray dogs, stray cats, bats and the like.
Getting the rabies vaccine is also recommended.
Appointments
Vaccination is available without an appointment.
Because we give priority to those with appointments, please book below if your schedule is already set.
– Maternal and Child Health Handbook (a copy or a photo is also acceptable)
– Documents (if you would like a medical certificate or vaccination certificate issued in a specified format, please bring the documents)
For vaccines and vaccinations for other regions, please see this page.
＜Dr. Satoshi Kutsuna＞
Specialist in infectious disease internal medicine, PhD in medicine.
For about 10 years he was engaged in travel medicine and imported infectious disease care at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine Hospital (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo), home to Japan's largest travel clinic, and he continues to be involved in activities including clinical practice and research today.
His other areas of specialty are emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and COVID infection, and he works to raise awareness of infectious diseases through a variety of outlets including the media and the internet.
He also sees patients at our clinic as a part-time physician and supervises our Travel Medicine.
