Blog

02 Nov Get vaccinated! Vaccination and Medical Translation

Have you ever wondered about the vaccination universe? Thousands and thousands of inoculations are carried out daily  all over the world. Kids, tourists, health staff, elderly people… everyone can be subject to an inoculation for different purposes. And the variety of vaccinations is highly increasing due to medical advances and researching.

However, whether your plans are to travel, or to emigrate, you should consider ask for a medical translation of your vaccination records. And not only that. Medical translations of your vaccination records can also be a requirement in different other situations, from being accepted in universities, to assuring your kids or your families health or avoiding flu. In any case, the uses of vaccines in the near future are promising.

Expert medical translation is a must for vaccine records

If you are a medical translator, you may be interested in this field for exploring a huge universe full of job opportunities. There are vaccines recommended before traveling to other countries, for safety reasons. We are talking about vaccination against malaria, rabies or cholera. But there are vaccines required after traveling, such as vaccination against yellow fever or Zika virus. In these cases, proof of vaccination must be provided before entering a country, especially in Africa or Latam. So, take into account an extra time for a professional medical translation if you are in one of these cases.

Vaccination certificates normally include translation in paper and digital format, notarization and seal. They can be required, among others, in Universities, for medical reasons, in colleges, in specific jobs or in case of immigration. General vaccination has made the real need of specific vaccinations less common, by reducing diseases. But outbreaks still occur from time to time, so being vaccinated will get you off the hook.The World Health Organization is doing a great job for avoiding worldwide pandemics thanks to vaccination regulations that, again, also need medical translation.

In case of immigration, the most common required vaccines are: hepatitis A and B, rubella, varicella, influenza, influenza type b (Hib), pertussis, measles, meningococcal, polio, tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, rotavirus, pneumococcal and mumps, although it depends on the country. Also, companies around the world, institutions or governmental agencies, as well as those organizations from a regulated industry, such as medical, financial or government sectors, may ask for a certified translation of your vaccination records. In those cases, it is better not to delay.

Vaccination for kids & infants

The youngest are always subject to an inoculation. Depending on the country – or even region – the regulations of the pertinent governmental administration design a vaccination schedule. Some are mandatory and other optional, and they all vary depending on the age of the patient. There are some vaccinations, however, that can prevent babies from having childhood diseases, such as Diphtheria (the ‘D’ in DTaP vaccine), Tetanus (the ‘T’ in DTaP vaccine), also known as Lockjaw, Pertussis (the ‘P’ in DTaP vaccine), also known as Whooping Cough, Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), Hepatitis B, Polio and Pneumococcal Disease .

In any case, immunizations for diseases as Chickenpox, Papillomavirus, Hepatitis or Pneumococcal, are some of the most common ones. Nevertheless, it is important to take into account each specific case, as some children should not get certain vaccines. This is the case when a child has a mild cold or other illness. It is better to wait until the child is cured.

With vaccines, as with any other medicines, there is a chance of side effects. Most vaccine reactions include: redness, swelling or tenderness. Even a mild fever. They go away within a day or two. Something quite different occurs when a child has a severe allergy to a substance contained in the vaccine, or has an allergic reaction to the vaccine, because, in these cases, the right thing may be not to vaccinate (always ask to your doctor first).

Seasonal vaccination and medical translation

Flu is the most representative illness related to a seasonal vaccination, which is highly increased during the previous weeks to winter. This is not a mandatory process, but it is highly recommended especially due to higher risk of serious influenza complications. That is to say, pregnant women, elderly people, people with specific chronic medical conditions, children & infants or even people working in the health sector (doctors, nurses…).

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control continues to emphasize that Europeans who are recommended by doctors to have the influenza vaccine, should get vaccinated.  In the same sense, the World Health Organization has adopted several Resolutions urging UN Member States to increase influenza vaccination coverage.

A pick into the future of vaccination and medical translation

Therapeutic cancer vaccines until recently have not had much success in clinical trials. However, new approaches are potentiating the effect of vaccines and are able to induce a strong T cell response. Currently, mouse models are being translated to clinical trials, normally combining different therapies to achieve maximum efficiency. At this level, translations of Protocols, translations of Study Drug Instructions, translations of Laboratory Protocols, translations of CTAs and ICFs, translations of Favorable Opinions, translations of Clinical Trial Protocols, translations of Global Patient Brochures or translations of Patient items, among others are needed.

Besides, cancer vaccines developed in mice are successfully being translated to humans with promising results. Additionally, there are some other vaccinations appearing on scene because of new pandemics, but also medical researchers are constantly looking for an immunization cure to new diseases. So, having these ideas into account, medical translators may start their job in the inoculation field. Researching centres, pharmaceuticals, health organizations and/or customs may require medical translations for documentation related to vaccination. In any case, a person or business can get a lot of benefit from a relationship with a medical translation service that employs top-quality translators and can provide reliable, quality certified medical translations whenever is needed.