Moving your teaching career overseas - vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate!

If you've been living in a developed country all your life, you have probably been innoculated against TB, Polio, Tetanus, etc. But are your vaccinations up-to-date? When was the last time you had, say, an Oral Polio Booster?

4. Vaccinations and a vaccination certificate

You are going to be living and working abroad, which means that you’ll be exposed to all sorts of new organisms. Check with your doctor or with a travel clinic to see what vaccinations are recommended for the country to which you’re moving and be sure to let them know that you’ll be living there long term rather than just going on holiday for a week or two. If you’re traveling to Thailand for a holiday the recommended vaccinations are different to the ones recommended if you’re staying here a while.

Get a vaccination certificate to prove what vaccinations you’ve had and ask your health professional to make a note of when you’ll need to get any booster shots. Many vaccinations are good for a number of years, but some need a series of shots before you are covered for any appreciable length of time.

If you've got kids and you're moving to Asia, think about getting them vaccinated against Rabies. There are a huge number of dogs and cats living on the streets and I know of two children that have been bitten and had to be innoculated later (not that the animals are rabid, but you never know when you'll come across a carrier!)

Moving your teaching career overseas - vaccinations