Holiday and Travel Information
If you are planning to travel abroad, check well in advance which vaccinations are required. Immunosuppressed patients should not receive live vaccines .
Listed below are some of the vaccines that transplant patients can and cannot have. Only a few have been covered. If you are in any doubt about which vaccines are suitable, please check with the transplant co-ordinator who will be able to advise you.
| Permitted vaccines | Vaccines not to be given |
| Influenza vaccine | MMR Vaccine |
| Inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine (salk) | Poliomyelitis vaccine – live oral type – (sabin) |
| Pneumococcal vaccine | Oral typhoid vaccine (vivotif) |
| Tetanus vaccine | BCG |
| Polysaccharide Typhoid vaccine (Typhum Vi) | Smallpox vaccine |
| – | Yellow fever vaccine |
Before planning to go to a country where there is malaria, discuss this with your transplant doctor. Some anti-malarial treatment can affect the levels of immunosuppression in your blood. In addition, if you do contract malaria whilst immunosuppressed this can be very dangerous.
Holiday Insurance
Don’t book your holiday until you take out holiday insurance which covers you for a pre-existing medical condition . Most standard policies do not and if your travel agent states that you will be covered under their insurance policy, ask to see a copy of their full policy. The cost of treatment for a person with kidney failure can be extremely expensive abroad, especially beyond Europe.
Tips for Transplant Patients
Staying out of the sun
The important message for all transplant patients going on holiday to sunny destinations is – “Avoid the sun and you can avoid skin cancer”. Transplant patients are three times more likely than other people to get skin cancers after a transplant because of the immuno-suppressant drugs they need to take. However, skin cancer can be avoided and, if detected early, can be easily treated.
Using sunblocks – The effectiveness of a sunblock is rated by an SPF (sun protective factor) number. The number indicates how long you can stay in the sun before your skin burns. For example, if your skin would normally burn after 10 minutes out in the sun, an SPF of 15 means that you can stay in the sun fifteen times longer before burning than if you were wearing no sunscreen; in this case that would be 150 minutes. However, this information is supplied for the general public and because some transplant medication makes the skin extra sensitive to the sun, all transplant patients are advised to use an SPF factor of 25 or higher.
Please be aware that you cannot “add” SPF numbers. If an SPF 25 sunblock will protect you for two hours, you will need to apply a stronger SPF if you want to stay in the sun for more than two hours, rather than just applying more SPF 25.
Other simple ways to avoid exposure to the harmful rays of the sun:
- Protect your skin with suitable clothing. Clothing offers the advantages of even, non-sticky protection that you don’t have to remember to reapply. However, many summer-weight fabrics don’t give enough protection and fibres like cotton offer even less protection when wet. As the incidence of skin cancer is increasing globally it is now possible to buy protective clothing. Ask your pharmacist or high street chemist for information.
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your eyes, ears, face, and the back of your neck.
- Wear sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of UV radiation. Check the label.
- Avoid the midday sun – 10 am to 2 pm when UV radiation is strongest.
- Remember that the sun’s rays can be reflected by snow, sand, water and even concrete.
- Avoid using sun lamps.
- Skin cancer and mole watch – Examine your skin regularly. If you find any unusual blemish, moles, or other marking on the skin, especially one that changes in size, shape or colour, see your doctor.
Avoiding infections while on holiday
Transplant immuno-suppressant drugs also reduce a patient’s ability to fight infections. Simple precautions include:
- Avoid contact with people who have a cold, flu or any infectious disease such as chickenpox.
- Buy bottled water abroad or use boiled water (especially in far eastern countries).
- Avoid salads unless you have washed them and/or made them yourself, and avoid ice cubes unless you have made them from bottled water.
- Avoid ice cream from street vendors.
- Make sure you have been appropriately vaccinated.
- Avoid travelling to countries where the risk of catching an infection is high – MASTA and British Airways Clinics can help advise you on this in this section.
- Vaccinations – Transplant patients should never be given ‘live’ vaccines. See your renal unit for advice on live vaccines and also make sure your GP is informed. Vaccinations and advice can be obtained at your local GP clinic or at any of the British Airways Travel Clinics.
Getting Around
Organise assistance at ports, airports, etc – If you tire easily, or have problems with mobility, most airports now offer wheelchairs and/or chauffeured “buggies”, which will whisk you through check-in, the departure procedures and passport control in minutes. Ferry ports, railway stations and many special attractions also offer this type of assistance. You will need to book this in advance.