Research indicates that even when travellers are aware of the potential diseases and precautions they can take, it is not always the case that all appropriate vaccines will be requested. A US study found that more than a quarter of travellers who sought pre-travel advice chose not to have at least one vaccine as recommended.15
The most common reason given for declining to have a vaccine was that the traveller was not concerned about the illness. People who were visiting friends or relatives were also found to be less likely to request vaccination.
Factors for declining a vaccine also included cost (notably for Japanese encephalitis), or concerns about side effects or the safety of the vaccine (eg with yellow fever).
The researchers pointed out that health care providers are the most frequent and most trusted source of vaccine-related information, so can have a positive influence on a traveller’s decision about whether to have the vaccination. Indeed, travel vaccination uptake tends to be higher if the traveller has consulted a healthcare professional (HCP) compared to consulting non-HCP sources.
However, HCP involvement does not translate into total adherence to a vaccination schedule, as is demonstrated with hepatitis vaccination for travellers.