Shots needed before heading abroad

DALLAS, July 21 (UPI) -- Travelers headed to the Beijing Olympics or other international destinations should get vaccinations early, a U.S. infectious-disease specialist said.

Dr. Doug Hardy of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Medical Center Dallas said people headed overseas are more likely to develop traveler's diarrhea than a serious disease but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Though the risk of contracting a serious disease is slight, hepatitis A and B and measles are problematic and malaria is a present in some rural areas of China.

"More than 3 million people are expected to attend the Olympic and Paralympic Games from all over the world, including some from areas without access to all the preventative vaccines available in the United States," Hardy said in a statement. "It's important to make sure you're up-to-date on all routine and travel-related vaccines before departing for China or any other international destination."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that travelers headed to developing countries be vaccinated against hepatitis A, hepatitis B and typhoid. The CDC also recommends that individuals visiting certain destinations be vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis, meningococcal meningitis, rabies and yellow fever.