Travel Vaccinations for Families: The Complete Nomad Guide

Family health on the road

Keeping our kids healthy everywhere we go 💉

Vaccines aren’t the most glamorous part of nomad life. But we like to know everything we can to make informed decisions and keep ourselves and our kids as safe as possible while we travel. Here’s how we navigate it, what it actually cost us before Vietnam, and what we wish we’d known sooner.

Every family makes their own decisions about vaccines, and we respect that completely. 💛

Our story

The moment that started our vaccination routine, starring Marty on the floor 😂

Before our very first big world adventure together, Marty and I did everything right. We booked the travel clinic, we showed up on time, we got our shots like responsible adults. We were feeling pretty good about ourselves walking out.

Then Marty hit the floor.

Yep. Flat out fainted, right there in the clinic hallway. Needle fright. Fully grown man. Down he went.

Before I could even process what was happening, let alone crouch down to help, a whole group of women had already swooped in. Full rescue mode. I stood there completely frozen, trying to work out if I should be worried or laughing, while Marty received what I can only describe as the most attentive medical care of his life. 😂

He was absolutely fine, obviously. And he’ll never, ever live it down.

But in all seriousness, that trip was the moment we realised vaccines couldn’t be an afterthought. We were heading into regions where the diseases are real, and so is the risk. Getting it sorted before you go is just part of how we travel as a family.

A note before we go further: we’re not doctors. Everything here is based on our own experience and research. Always see a travel medicine specialist or GP who knows your family’s health history and your specific destinations.

The basics

Two types of vaccines every nomad family needs to understand

Routine vaccines are the ones your kids should have regardless of travel, such as measles, polio, chickenpox and whooping cough. These are the foundation. If you’ve been moving around, it’s worth getting your kids’ records checked to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks.

Travel vaccines are destination-specific. They protect against diseases that are rare at home but present in some of the regions we love to explore. Which ones you need depends on where you’re going, how long you’re staying, and what you’ll be doing.

Hepatitis A (commonly recommended): spread through contaminated food and water. Often recommended for much of Asia, Latin America and Africa. It’s usually a two-dose course, with the second dose 6 to 12 months or more after the first.

Typhoid (often recommended): spread through contaminated food and water. Recommended more strongly for some regions, such as South Asia, than others, so check your specific destination.

Japanese encephalitis (destination-based): mosquito-borne. Often considered for longer stays or time in rural parts of Asia.

Yellow fever (destination-based): some countries in Africa and South America require a vaccination certificate for entry, especially if you’re arriving from a risk country.

Rabies (destination-based): worth discussing if your kids are likely to be around dogs, monkeys or other animals. Pre-travel doses make treatment simpler if a bite happens (more on that in the FAQs).

Influenza (worth asking about): flu seasons differ around the world, so ask your clinic whether a flu vaccine makes sense for your timing and destinations.

How we do it

Our planning process, before every new region

1. Start early

We check destination-specific advice at least 6 to 8 weeks before we go, using Smartraveller for Australians, the Dutch GGD and LCR advice, and the CDC. Some vaccines need more than one dose, spaced weeks apart, so you can’t rush this. If you’re travelling for more than three months, the GGD suggests getting advice as soon as you can.

2. Book a travel medicine appointment

Not just a GP, but a clinic that specialises in travel medicine. I’ve used travel clinics in both Utrecht and Brisbane. The quality varies, so ask whether they regularly advise families with young children.

3. Update our records, every single time

We keep a shared digital folder with scans of every vaccine certificate for each family member, and we carry printed copies in our travel documents wallet too. Yes, it’s old school, but paper doesn’t run out of battery at a border.

4. Budget for it

Vaccines aren’t cheap. Our last family travel vaccine round came to somewhere between €300 and €600, and that was without rabies (more on that below). We treat it like any other non-negotiable travel cost, same as flights and health insurance. If you have Dutch supplementary health insurance, check whether it reimburses travel vaccinations.

What we actually did before Vietnam

Before we left the Netherlands for Vietnam, we went through it all again as a family of four.

Marty needed hepatitis A and a DTP booster (diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough). I’d already had the DTP vaccine while I was pregnant with Leo, so I didn’t need it again. Louie and Leo each needed a vaccine too.

All up, it came to somewhere between €300 and €600. That was without rabies. We decided to skip it, and with rabies added for four people the bill would have been much higher. It’s a real trade-off, and one every family has to weigh up with their doctor. Skipping it means being extra careful around animals and knowing what to do if a bite or scratch happens.

Now that we’re here, living our month in Da Nang, the everyday stuff matters just as much: mosquito repellent, washing hands before meals, and teaching the boys not to pat the street dogs, however friendly they look.

Things we’ve learned

Practical tips from the road 🌍

One folder per person

Marty, Vanessa, Louie and Leo each have their own folder in Google Drive. Every certificate gets scanned in straight after each appointment.

Don’t leave it to the last minute

Some vaccines, such as hepatitis A and rabies, involve more than one dose. Plan at least 6 to 8 weeks ahead when heading to a new region.

Make it routine for the kids

We talk about it openly. Louie and Leo know vaccines are just part of how we travel safely. There’s less fear when it’s normal.

Check entry requirements

A yellow fever certificate is an entry requirement in some countries, especially if you’re arriving from a risk area. No certificate can mean no entry. Check the official rules for every country on your route.

Dengue is rising

Dengue cases have hit record levels in parts of Asia and the Americas in recent years. Talk to your doctor about prevention. A vaccine exists but has eligibility criteria, so mosquito protection is still your main defence.

Vaccines aren’t the whole picture

Mosquito repellent, food safety and handwashing all matter. Vaccines work alongside good habits, not instead of them.

Keeping kids calm at the clinic

The Marty method is not recommended 😂

Louie is pretty good at the clinic these days, but it took some work to get there. A few things genuinely help.

We tell him what’s going to happen before we go, plainly and honestly. “You’re getting a needle. It will sting for a second and then it’s done.” No build-up, no big deal. Kids read your energy, so if you’re calm, they’re more likely to be calm.

We let him ask questions. Last time, Louie took it like an absolute boss. Didn’t even flinch. We were proud. 💪

We bring a snack for after. Small thing, but having something to look forward to on the other side of the appointment goes a long way.

And we never, ever say “it won’t hurt.” It will, a little. And when it does, you’ve lost their trust for next time.

As for Leo, he’s still a little too young to have much of an opinion on the matter. Something tells us he’ll be just as brave as his big brother. 🤞

A note on boosters

Some vaccines aren’t a one-and-done deal

This one catches a lot of long-term nomad families off guard. If you’re on the road for years, not just months, some vaccines need refreshing.

Typhoid protection typically lasts around 2 to 3 years for the injection and up to 5 years for the oral version. Hepatitis A is usually a two-dose course, and once both doses are done, protection is long-lasting. Adult tetanus boosters are generally recommended every 10 years. Japanese encephalitis boosters may be recommended if you’re returning to risk areas after some time.

The simplest approach is to build a vaccine review into an annual health check, wherever in the world you happen to be. Ask specifically about boosters for your upcoming destinations, not just new vaccines.

For Southeast Asia, hepatitis A and being up to date on the routine vaccines are common starting points, with typhoid, Japanese encephalitis and rabies discussed based on your plans. Always talk it through with your doctor to work out what’s right for your family.

When it still happens despite everything

Because even vaccinated kids get sick on the road 🤒

Vaccines lower the risk, but they don’t stop every fever, tummy bug or ear infection. That’s just parenting, whether you’re at home or halfway across the world.

The difference is knowing what to do when it happens somewhere unfamiliar.

First, research the nearest reputable clinic or hospital before you need it, not during a 2am panic. In Vietnam and Thailand, big cities such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have international hospitals with English-speaking staff. Outside the cities, options can be much more limited, so knowing the nearest good one matters.

Second, carry a basic family medical kit.

Paracetamol and ibuprofen in children’s doses, oral rehydration sachets, a thermometer, an antihistamine, and any prescription medicines your GP recommends for your destinations. If you’re flying with a toddler, keep the essentials in your hand luggage.

Third, have insurance that genuinely covers medical care abroad, including evacuation. A clinic visit is one thing. Transfer to a hospital in another city or country is another, and without cover the cost can be huge.

Travel insurance

Vaccines are layer one. Insurance is layer two.

We think of vaccines and insurance as a package deal. One protects your family’s health before something happens; the other protects you when it happens anyway.

A lot of nomad families underestimate their insurance needs, especially with kids. Standard travel policies often have gaps around pre-existing conditions, long-term travel or medical evacuation. Read the fine print before you commit.

For long stays, look for cover that lasts your whole trip, includes emergency evacuation, and has a 24/7 assistance line you can actually call from a foreign number at 3am. Our guide to health insurance for nomad families covers the options, the gaps, and where we’re at ourselves.

Where we go for info

Official resources we use

Smartraveller (Australian Government): smartraveller.gov.au, for destination health and safety advice for Australians.

GGD Reisvaccinaties (Netherlands): ggdreisvaccinaties.nl, to check recommended vaccines by country and book a travel clinic appointment in the Netherlands.

LCR (Dutch national travel health advice): lcr.nl, which sets the Dutch guidelines for travel vaccinations and malaria prevention.

CDC Travelers’ Health: wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel, for country-by-country vaccine and health recommendations.

World Health Organization: who.int, for global health information and disease outbreaks.

Frequently asked questions

Do kids need different vaccines to adults?

Sometimes, yes. Age affects which vaccines are recommended, at what dose, and whether they can be given at all. For example, the injectable typhoid vaccine isn’t given to very young children, and Japanese encephalitis vaccine is given at a smaller dose for children under 3. A travel medicine specialist can tailor advice to each family member’s age and health history, not just your destination.

How do we keep vaccine records while travelling?

We keep one Google Drive folder per family member, with every certificate scanned in straight after each appointment, plus printed copies in our travel documents wallet. If you’re Australian, the Australian Immunisation Register holds your official record. Vaccines you get overseas can often be added by a recognised provider in Australia if you bring the paperwork, so keep every certificate.

What if we miss a dose in a series?

Don’t panic, and don’t assume you need to start again. For many vaccines you can simply pick up where you left off, even after a longer gap than planned. Check with a doctor or pharmacist, who can look up the catch-up advice for that specific vaccine.

Which vaccines are recommended for Vietnam and Thailand?

Commonly recommended starting points include hepatitis A and being up to date on routine vaccines such as MMR and tetanus. Typhoid, Japanese encephalitis and rabies are often discussed depending on how long you’re staying, where you’re going and what you’ll be doing. Before Vietnam, our family had hepatitis A and a DTP booster where needed, and chose not to have rabies. Your clinic will tailor advice to your plans.

What if we skip the rabies vaccine?

That’s what we did, so we take animal contact seriously. Rabies is present in Vietnam and Thailand, and it’s spread through bites and scratches from infected animals, including dogs, cats and monkeys. Teach kids not to touch animals, including friendly-looking ones. If a bite or scratch happens, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and get medical care the same day. Without pre-travel doses, treatment usually needs more injections plus rabies immunoglobulin, which can be hard to find in some places. With pre-travel doses, treatment is simpler. Talk this trade-off through with your clinic before you go, and have a look at our wildlife travel guide for how we approach animal encounters with the boys.

Are travel vaccines covered by insurance?

Usually not by travel or nomad insurance. In the Netherlands, some supplementary health insurance policies reimburse travel vaccinations, so it’s worth checking yours before you book.

Have a question about vaccines for your family’s trip? 💬

We can’t give medical advice, but we’re happy to share what we’ve learned from the road.

Discover more about how nomad families stay healthy on the road, or start with our guides to how to start worldschooling and becoming a digital nomad family.