Template:Improve Vaccines protect against many dangerous diseases. Each country has a schedule of vaccinations which are reccommended for that country. It is better to take children to be vaccinated while they are healthy rather than taking them for treatment when they are sick.


Vaccination falls within 2 categories: Fundamental vaccinations and Repeating vaccinations.

Fundamental vaccinations are those vaccinations which provide immunity against the most widely spread/most dangerous diseases. Repeating vaccinations are vaccinations for diseases of which a full protection can not be given with a single vaccine dose (thus requiring at least 2 or more dosages; or subsequent dosages throughout the entire lifetime of the patient, eg as in the case with tetanus).

Some diseases are common only in certain areas so that vaccination is only appropriate for people living in or visiting that area.

Vaccinations for Travellers

Before travelling to the tropics you should seek expert advice on the vaccinnations and the Anti-Malarial medicines appropriate to the area you will be visiting. It is better to get advice from a specialist as they will be up to date on the latest reccommendations.

In London The Tropical for Tropical Diseases has a travel clinic.

General Vaccination programs

Vaccines are available from different companies and have varying characteristics.

  1. Duration (eg vaccinations requiring 1 vaccine-dosage are to be preferred over vaccines requiring several vaccine-dosages)
  2. Level of protection (the higher, the better)
  3. Price

Refer to the information on each country for the list of vaccinations recommended for that country.

Many vaccines need to be kept cold to be effective. Appropriate technology can be an important element in maintaining a Cold chain from the factory to the vaccination clinic.


In AT-villages

In AT-villages, the fundamental vaccines are to be given together with other primary medical care when a applicant for admission into the village has been approved. These vaccins will thus protect the person against that particular disease for his entire life. The repeating vaccinations however, will only be given for as long as the person remains in the AT-village (and thus contributes to the village). When the villager decides to leave the village, the repeating vaccinations are no longer given, meaning that after a while, protection against this disease will be lost for this villager. This method is used as it is the most sustainable one (as the AT-projects need to remain self-sustainable regarding financial costs) and as it is the most practical (villagers that leave the village can no longer be vaccinated by village personnel and should otherwise need to be done by official doctors, who demand greater fees).

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