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Is Travelling Safe For Infants?
Question: My son is married to a Honduran woman who is expecting their first child any day. They are planning to take the infant to Honduras to visit her family within a couple of months. This decision is unwise I believe. I have concerns about exposing this child to possible Dengue, Sika and other diseases. I have read material about these diseases from WHO, CDC, and PAHO and I don't think it is a safe decision to take her there. Her family lives in San XXXXXXX Sula, a city noted to be a hot spot for viral infections by mosquito transmission. Am I being unreasonable to oppose this visit with an infant? Is the infant even old enough at two -three months to have completed her series of baby vaccinations, much less hepatitis A or typhoid vaccinations. At what age is the baby old enough to be completely vaccinated as recommended by CDC for Central America? Will my granddaughter be safe if she goes to Honduras as an infant?
Brief Answer:
Proper precautionary measures will ensure her safety.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
I have gone carefully through your query and fully understand your apprehensions. Firstly, you need not panic. Using mosquito nets can prevent diseases that are spread by mosquitoes. Taking precautions like not letting water stagnate, putting gambusia fish in surrounding water bodies, using larvicides etc. can help in keeping the child safe. The vaccination goes on till 14 years and not all diseases are protected from using vaccinations. Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccination are not scheduled ones but may be given. However, a reasonable level of immunity is expected to develop by 5 years of age. I think that with proper precautions your grandchild would still be safe even in Honduras and you need not worry.
Let me know if I could help further.
Regards
Proper precautionary measures will ensure her safety.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
I have gone carefully through your query and fully understand your apprehensions. Firstly, you need not panic. Using mosquito nets can prevent diseases that are spread by mosquitoes. Taking precautions like not letting water stagnate, putting gambusia fish in surrounding water bodies, using larvicides etc. can help in keeping the child safe. The vaccination goes on till 14 years and not all diseases are protected from using vaccinations. Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccination are not scheduled ones but may be given. However, a reasonable level of immunity is expected to develop by 5 years of age. I think that with proper precautions your grandchild would still be safe even in Honduras and you need not worry.
Let me know if I could help further.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
If it is safe, why does the US offer a health warning for travel to Honduras? In my daughter-in-law's home in Honduras various family members have contracted Dengue, Sika and Chikungunya during the past couple of years. I have been to the family home which is very nice, however, there is intense vegetation and many, many mosquitoes. What levels of natural immunity does a 3 month old have against other diseases? The child will be breastfed which helps with the disease situation but I think I need more reassurance. I have lived in and worked with med teams to Honduras for many years so I know much more about the health conditions in Honduras than the average XXXXXXX having seen some of the worst. So I am not responding as a typical XXXXXXX with no experience or knowledge of the country, which is why I am probably a grandmother who has panic at the thought of my grandchild in that situation. Just a bit more reassurance of the safety of my grandchild will be appreciated
If it is safe why does the US offer a health warning for travel to Honduras? In my daughter-in-laws' family home in San XXXXXXX Sula, her nephew was hospitalized with Dengue, her sister contracted Sika three months ago as did her mother and last year her mother contracted Chikungunya. Her brother is just recovering from Hep A. I have visited the family home many times and there is intense vegetation with many, many mosquitoes. What levels of natural immunity does a three month old have? She will be breastfed which helps, however I am not completely reassured. I have lived myself in Honduras and worked with medical teams for a number of years and have the seen the worst health conditions in Honduras which may be why I have so much panic at the thought of my grandchild being exposed to that environment I understand normal precautions but given the medical history of the family and mosquito born diseases and the mosquito rich environment where she will be, what more intensive precautions should be undertaken? Should more even be taken? And can she get or should she get a Hep. A vaccination? I know that is not a mosquito born disease, however, it speaks to the issue. Just tell me again it will be safe and I will try to calm down and accept it.
If it is safe why does the US offer a health warning for travel to Honduras? In my daughter-in-laws' family home in San XXXXXXX Sula, her nephew was hospitalized with Dengue, her sister contracted Sika three months ago as did her mother and last year her mother contracted Chikungunya. Her brother is just recovering from Hep A. I have visited the family home many times and there is intense vegetation with many, many mosquitoes. What levels of natural immunity does a three month old have? She will be breastfed which helps, however I am not completely reassured. I have lived myself in Honduras and worked with medical teams for a number of years and have the seen the worst health conditions in Honduras which may be why I have so much panic at the thought of my grandchild being exposed to that environment I understand normal precautions but given the medical history of the family and mosquito born diseases and the mosquito rich environment where she will be, what more intensive precautions should be undertaken? Should more even be taken? And can she get or should she get a Hep. A vaccination? I know that is not a mosquito born disease, however, it speaks to the issue. Just tell me again it will be safe and I will try to calm down and accept it.
Brief Answer:
I do not deny the health concerns.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back. I understand your concerns. I do not deny of the risks there. But people do live there and have children born to them. So all I was doing is to respect the intent of paying a visit to pay the respects to the maternal grand parents. I do not deny the risks. I only suggest that appropriate precautions can help in bridging over the risks. I do not deny that it is always better to stay in a place where the health conditions are better. If there is an option of asking the maternal family to pay a visit instead, perhaps that would be more reasonable.
Visit the following link, check the vaccination schedules:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/clinician/none/honduras
The immunity of a newborn is low at birth and takes time to develop. It develops as the child grows and even at 3 months of age it is not reasonably developed. Even if vaccines are administered, it takes time to develop. Some vaccinations like Hepatitis A are not recommended for ages lesser than 1 year of age and take another year for the course to be completed. Moreover, no vaccination for diseases like Dengue and Yellow fever are available.
Once again, I do not deny the risks. I just mention that precautions can be taken. The ideal age of visit would not be lesser than a few years of age. If there is an option of inviting the maternal family members to pay a visit instead, it is definitely a better option. If they still need to pay a visit, precautions and additional vaccinations can ensure safety.
Regards
I do not deny the health concerns.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back. I understand your concerns. I do not deny of the risks there. But people do live there and have children born to them. So all I was doing is to respect the intent of paying a visit to pay the respects to the maternal grand parents. I do not deny the risks. I only suggest that appropriate precautions can help in bridging over the risks. I do not deny that it is always better to stay in a place where the health conditions are better. If there is an option of asking the maternal family to pay a visit instead, perhaps that would be more reasonable.
Visit the following link, check the vaccination schedules:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/clinician/none/honduras
The immunity of a newborn is low at birth and takes time to develop. It develops as the child grows and even at 3 months of age it is not reasonably developed. Even if vaccines are administered, it takes time to develop. Some vaccinations like Hepatitis A are not recommended for ages lesser than 1 year of age and take another year for the course to be completed. Moreover, no vaccination for diseases like Dengue and Yellow fever are available.
Once again, I do not deny the risks. I just mention that precautions can be taken. The ideal age of visit would not be lesser than a few years of age. If there is an option of inviting the maternal family members to pay a visit instead, it is definitely a better option. If they still need to pay a visit, precautions and additional vaccinations can ensure safety.
Regards
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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