TYPHOID VACCINE

1 What is typhoid?
W H A T Y O U N E E D T O K N O W
3 Who should get typhoid
vaccine and when?
Routine typhoid vaccination is not recommended
in the United States, but typhoid vaccine is
recommended for:
•Travelers to parts of the world where typhoid is
common. (NOTE: typhoid vaccine is not 100%
effective and is not a substitute for being
careful about what you eat or drink.)
•People in close contact with a typhoid carrier.
•Laboratory workers who work with Salmonella
Typhi bacteria.
Inactivated Typhoid Vaccine (Shot)
•Should not be given to children younger than 2
years of age.
•One dose provides protection. It should be given
at least 2 weeks before travel to allow the vaccine
time to work.
•A booster dose is needed every 2 years for people
who remain at risk.
Live Typhoid Vaccine (Oral)
•Should not be given to children younger than 6
years of age.
•Four doses, given 2 days apart, are needed for
protection. The last dose should be given at least
1 week before travel to allow the vaccine time to
work.
•A booster dose is needed every 5 years for people
who remain at risk.
Either vaccine may be given at the same time as
other vaccines.
There are two vaccines to prevent typhoid. One is
an inactivated (killed) vaccine gotten as a shot, and
the other is live, attenuated (weakened) vaccine
which is taken orally (by mouth).
2 Typhoid vaccines
4 Some people should not get
typhoid vaccine or should wait
Inactivated Typhoid Vaccine (Shot)
•Anyone who has had a severe reaction to a
previous dose of this vaccine should not get
Typhoid 5/19/04 another dose. Over . . .
Typhoid (typhoid fever) is a serious disease. It is
caused by bacteria called Salmonella Typhi.
Typhoid causes a high fever, weakness, stomach
pains, headache, loss of appetite, and sometimes a
rash. If it is not treated, it can kill up to 30% of
people who get it.
Some people who get typhoid become “carriers,”
who can spread the
disease to
others.
Generally,
people get
typhoid from
contaminated
food or water. Typhoid is not common in the U.S.,
and most U.S. citizens who get the disease get it
while traveling. Typhoid strikes about 21 million
people a year around the world and kills about
200,000.
Typhoid vaccine can prevent typhoid.
Many Vaccine Information Statements are available in Spanish and other languages. See www.immunize.org/vis.
6 What if there is a moderate or
severe reaction?
department of health and human services
Typhoid Vaccine (5/19/04) Vaccine Information Statement Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Live Typhoid Vaccine (Oral)
•Anyone who has had a severe reaction to a
previous dose of this vaccine should not get
another dose.
•Anyone whose immune system is weakened
should not get this vaccine. They should get the
inactivated typhoid vaccine instead. These
people include anyone who:
- Has HIV/AIDS or another disease that affects
the immune system.
- Is being treated with drugs that affect the
immune system, such as steroids, for 2 weeks
or longer.
- Has any kind of cancer.
- Is taking cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs.
•Oral typhoid vaccine should not be given within
24 hours of certain antibiotics.
Ask your doctor or nurse for more information.
A vaccine, like any medicine, could possibly cause
serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions.
The risk of a vaccine causing serious harm, or
death, is extremely small. Serious problems from
either of the two typhoid vaccines are very rare.
Inactivated Typhoid Vaccine (Shot)
Mild Reactions
•Fever (up to about 1 person per 100).
•Headache (up to about 3 people per 100).
•Redness or swelling at the site of the injection
(up to 7 people per 100).
Live Typhoid Vaccine (Oral)
Mild Reactions
•Fever or headache (up to about 5 people per 100).
•Abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, or rash
(rare).
What should I look for?
• Any unusual condition, such as a high fever or
behavior changes. Signs of a serious allergic
reaction can include difficulty breathing, hoarseness
or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a
fast heart beat or dizziness.
What should I do?
• Call a doctor, or get the person to a doctor right
away.
•Tell your doctor what happened, the date and
time it happened, and when the vaccination was
given.
• Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to
report the reaction by filing a Vaccine Adverse
Event Reporting System (VAERS) form.
Or you can file this report through the VAERS
web site at www.vaers.hhs.gov, or by calling
1-800-822-7967.
VAERS does not provide medical advice.
• Ask your doctor or nurse. They can give you the
vaccine package insert or suggest other sources
of information.
• Call your local or state health department.
• Contact the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC):
- Visit CDC’s typhoid website at
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/typhoidfever_g.htm
5 What are the risks from
typhoid vaccine?
7 How can I learn more?