Liberia

Vaccinations

Please obtain the following vaccinations after consulting with your physician.

What vaccinations are routinely recommended?

Vaccine	Recommended For	When do I take it?	How is it Given?	Do I repeat it?	More info
Hepatitis A Havrix(GSK) Vaqta(Merck)	All travelers	1 dose 4 weeks before trip	1.0 ml intramuscular injection	Once in 6 months	Details
Hepatitis B Engerix B (GSK) Recombivax HB (Merck)	All travelers	2 doses 4 weeks before trip, doses on days 0, 28	1.0 ml intramuscular injection	Once in 6 months	Details
Polio IPOL (Sanofi)	All travelers	One dose anytime before trip	0.5 ml intramuscular injection	no	Details
Typhoid Typhim Vi (Sanofi)	All travelers	One dose 3 weeks before trip	25 ug intramuscular injection	Every 2 years for travel to at risk areas	Details
Yellow Fever YF-Vax (Sanofi)	All travelers	One dose 10 days before trip	0.5 ml subcutaneous injection	Every 10 years if at risk	Details

What vaccinations do I need to update?

Vaccine	Recommended For	When do I take it?	How is it Given?	Do I repeat it?	More info
Influenza Fluarix(GSK), Fluvirin(Novartis), Fluzone(Sanofi)	All adult travelers	One dose 2 weeks before trip	0.5 ml intramuscular injection	Every year	Details
Measles MMR II (Merck)	Non-immunized, born after 1956, or immunized before 1980	One dose anytime before trip	0.5 ml sq injection	no	Details
Pneumonia Pneumovax 23(Merck)	All travelers Recommended for adult travelers with the following:  Age > 65 years of age • Any age with chronic medical illness of the Heart, Lung, Kidney or Liver • Diabetes • Sickle cell disease • Splenectomy • Chronic steroid use • Cancer • HIV/AIDS • Pregnancy • Autoimmune disease • Transplant • Any immunocompromised state. Recommended for adult travelers with the following • Age > 65 years of age • Any age with chronic medical illness of the Heart, Lung, Kidney or Liver • Diabetes • Sickle cell disease • Splenectomy • Chronic steroid use • Cancer • HIV/AIDS • Pregnancy • Autoimmune disease • Transplant • Any immunocompromised state at risk	One dose 2 weeks before trip	0.5 ml intramuscular injection	Every 10 years	Details
Polio IPOL (Sanofi)	All travelers	One dose anytime before trip	0.5 ml intramuscular injection	no	Details
Tetanus Decavac(Sanofi)	All travelers needing a booster	One dose anytime before trip	0.5 ml intramuscular injection	Every 10 years	Details

What vaccinations are needed in special circumstances?

Vaccine	Recommended For	When do I take it?	How is it Given?	Do I repeat it?	More info
Rabies Rabavert (Novartis) Imovax(Sanofi)	Those handling animals or long-term visitors to at risk areas, especially areas with exposure to bats.	3 doses 4 weeks before trip, doses on days 0,7,21	1.0 ml intramusclular injection	Every 2 years if at risk	Details

What is the Yellow Fever Vaccination & Certificate Requirement?

Yellow fever vaccination & certificate are required for all travelers greater than 1 year of age.

We do recommend yellow fever vaccine for all travelers visiting this country.

Malaria Prevention

What medication should I take to prevent malaria?

Please take 1 of the following medications after consulting with your physician

What to Take?	When do I take it?	How is it Given?	Do I repeat it?	More info
Atovaquone/proguanil Malarone (Glaxo)	Starting 2 days before trip	250 mg tablet by mouth once a day with food	During and for 7 days after your trip	Details
Or
Doxycycline Vibramycin	Starting 2 days before trip	100 mg tablet by mouth once a day	During and for 4 weeks after your trip	Details
Or
Mefloquine Larium (Roche)	Start 1 week before trip	250 mg tablet by mouth once a week	During and for 4 weeks after your trip	Details

Always take the following protective measures against insect bites:

• Stay in accommodations with screens
• Wear long sleeve shirts, pants and socks
• Apply insect repellant containing DEET to exposed skin and clothing
• Use mosquito nets impregnated with permethrin
• Use mosquito repellant coils if available
• Avoid outdoor activities from dusk to dawn

Traveler's Diarrhea

What should I do if I develop diarrhea?

Carry one of the following antibiotics with you and take with the onset of diarrhea

What to Take?	When do I take it?	How is it Given?	Do I repeat it?	More info
Azithromycin Zithromax (Pfizer)	With the onset of diarrhea	500 mg tablet by mouth once a day	a) if 1-3 loose stools/day take for 1 day b) if> 4 loose stools/day, fever or bloody stools take for 3 days	Details
Or
Levofloxacin Levaquin (Ortho)	With the onset of diarrhea	500 mg tablet by mouth once a day	a) if 1-3 loose stools/day take for 1 day b) if> 4 loose stools/day, fever or bloody stools take for 3 days	Details
Or
Moxifloxacin Avelox (Bayer)	With the onset of diarrhea	400 mg tablet by mouth once a day	a) if 1-3 loose stools/day take for 1 day b) if> 4 loose stools/day, fever or bloody stools take for 3 days	Details

In addition you should

• Take an anti-diarrhea medication like Loperamide (Imodium AD) 2 mg tablet by mouth with each loose stool. Do not take if you have fever or bloody stools and do not take more than 7 tablets in 24 hrs.
• Aggressively hydrate by drinking juice, ginger-ale, or make up a solution by mixing 6 tsps of sugar, 1 tbsp of salt in 1 liter of boiled, purified or bottled water.

If your symptoms are no better in 3 days or if you are worse at anytime with inability to keep liquids down, feeling lightheaded or with high fever (102 F) please seek medical attention.

Always follow our safe food and water recommendations to prevent illness and its progression.

Where are Local Medical Facilities?

Medical facilities are limited - for serious illness recommend evacuation

Provider	Contact Information
ELWA Mission Hospital	http://www.elwaministries.org/AreasofMinistry/Hospital/tabid/59/Default.aspx Phone: 231 6-531045 Paynesville City Monrovia 24-hour emergency services.

For inquires regarding clinics or to request a clinic be added, please contact us.
For additional clinics, please click here.

Have there been any disease outbreaks in this country recently?

None reported as of 01/27/2011

For up to date oubreak news information, click here.

What are some common causes of illness in this country?

diarrhea amebiasis campylobacter E coli giardia shigella fever dengue malaria mononucleosis rickettsia typhoid other ascaris hepatitis strongyloidiasis skin disorders cutaneous larva migrans insect bite leishmaniasis myiasis skin abscess