What vaccinations are recommended for travel to different regions within the U.S., including specific cities and river areas?

Domestic U.S. Travel Vaccination Recommendations

For travel within the United States, including any region, state, city, or river area, no special travel-specific vaccinations are required beyond ensuring your routine immunizations are up-to-date. 1

No Travel-Specific Vaccines Needed for U.S. Destinations

• The CDC explicitly states that yellow fever, typhoid, cholera, and hepatitis A vaccines are recommended only for international travel to endemic regions in developing countries, not for travel within the United States. 1
• The risk of vaccine-preventable diseases when traveling within the U.S. is no greater than your baseline risk at home. 1
• Travel within the U.S. does not increase exposure to diseases requiring specialized vaccination beyond routine immunizations. 1

Routine Vaccinations to Verify Before Any Travel

While no special vaccines are needed for U.S. travel, use this as an opportunity to ensure your routine vaccinations are current:

• MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) should be up-to-date, as measles outbreaks can occur in any U.S. region, with approximately 61% of imported cases occurring among returning U.S. citizens who then spread disease domestically. 1
• Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) status should be current, with boosters every 10 years. 1
• Annual influenza vaccination is recommended, particularly for those at high risk for complications, as influenza circulates throughout the U.S. during typical seasons (October-May). 1

Critical Pitfall to Avoid

• Do not confuse international travel recommendations with domestic travel needs—the extensive vaccination lists for travel to developing countries (hepatitis A, typhoid, yellow fever, etc.) do not apply to U.S. destinations, regardless of whether you're visiting urban areas, rural regions, or river areas. 1
• Do not delay routine vaccinations—use travel planning as an opportunity to update standard immunizations that may have lapsed. 1
• Do not seek yellow fever vaccination centers for domestic travel—these specialized vaccines are only for international travel to endemic regions. 1