LETTER
Adult Immunizations 1994
Ronald J. Bloomfield
15 March 1995 | Volume 122 Issue 6 | Page 478
TO THE EDITOR:
The editorial about adult immunization [1] did not mention international air travelers. These people are at high risk for influenza, and I think that they should be immunized with the influenza vaccine. Airplanes have poor air circulation (obviously the windows cannot be opened), and if someone has influenza and is coughing or sneezing, many persons will breath in those viral particles.
The influenza vaccine is a safe and inexpensive vaccine. Persons who intend to travel outside the United States should receive the influenza vaccine when they visit their internist for a pretravel consultation. This vaccine will be more valuable than most tropical vaccines, such as those for yellow fever or cholera, especially for the business traveler who rarely gets exposed to any serious illness except influenza. I am not aware of any studies that "prove" the need for the influenza vaccine for airplane travelers, but, from my experience in travel medicine, immunization recommendations should include the influenza vaccine for international travelers.
1. Task Force on Adult Immunization. Adult Immunization 1994. Ann Intern Med. 1994; 121:540-1.
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